Using Eye Blinks as a Tool for Augmented Cognition

The human face comprises a complex system integrated from tissue, bone and electricity. Biometrics associated with this region provide useful information for a wide range of research disciplines. For those interested in augmented cognition, the metrics and behaviors inherent to eye blinks are particularly valuable in the interpretation and understanding of an individual's affective and cognitive states. Our work involves a novel integration of computer vision techniques for observing and interpreting the biometric information flow inherent in human eye blinks, and using these behavioral patterns to gain insight into the cognitive engagement and fatigue levels of individual subjects. Of particular interest are behavioral ambiguities - both across multiple subjects and in individual subjects across various scenarios - that present problems to both the observation and interpretation processes. Our work is pertinent to system development efforts across a wide range of applications, including driver fatigue, medical patient monitoring and critical system operator vigilance.