A wearable eye health monitoring device to help prevent Computer Vision Syndrome and fatigue-related incidents through real-time blink detection and feedback.
BLISS (Blinking Low-power Infrared Sensing System) is a smart wearable device that monitors a user’s blinking behavior using infrared sensing and provides real-time alerts via vibration when signs of fatigue or CVS are detected.
It is:
- Low-power and lightweight
- BLE-enabled
-
90% accurate in static use cases (e.g., reading, driving)
- Packaged in a compact 3D-printed form
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Taisuke Miyamoto | Algorithm and App Development |
| Tergel Molom-Ochir | Hardware & Logistics |
| Sashank Rao | Embedded Systems, BLE, Finance |
| Heta Shah | PCB Design |
| Advisor | Prof. Qiangfei Xia |
- 60M+ Americans suffer from chronic sleep deprivation
- 81.9% of engineering students experience Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)
- ~700 drowsy-driving deaths occurred in 2020
- Lack of discreet, low-cost, user-friendly solutions to address blink-related fatigue
-
Detect user blinks in real-time
-
Measure:
- Blink frequency (±1 blink/min)
- Blink duration (±0.1s)
-
Alert users if:
- Blink frequency < 12 blinks/min
- Blink duration > 0.5s
-
Send alerts via vibration and BLE smartphone notifications
- BLE connectivity for mobile app integration
- Onboard blink detection with IR sensor
- Real-time alerting with haptic feedback
- Compact form factor using custom PCB and 3D-printed housing
- Safe IR emission (720nm compliant)
| Condition | Actual Blinks | Detected Blinks | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stationary Head | 34 | 37 | 91% |
| Constant Head Motion | 24 | 28 | 67% |
➡️ Stationary use cases (e.g., working on a computer or highway driving) are ideal for device use.
-
IR Sensor (720nm, safe & effective)
- $2.93/unit, 100mA forward current
-
Adafruit Feather M0 Basic Proto
- ATSAMD21 Cortex-M0
- BLE via NRF51822
- USB charging
- $29.95/unit
-
LiPo Battery
-
Custom PCB
-
3D Printed Enclosure
-
IR data sampling @ 75 Hz
-
Data smoothing and moving average
-
Blink detection using:
- Signal slope thresholding
- STD-weighted comparison
-
BLE data updates sent once/second
- Displays blink frequency and duration
- Triggers vibration alerts on low frequency or long duration
- (Planned) Reset functionality from app
- ✅ Functional prototype of smart glasses
- ✅ Final PCB with 3D-printed enclosure
- ✅ BLE-enabled mobile app
- ✅ >90% accuracy in controlled conditions
- Add full BLE app reset functionality
- Improve app UI
- Further miniaturize the hardware
- Reduce component costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| MCU | $29.99 |
| IR Sensors | $3.88 |
| PCB | $5.13 |
| Battery | $7.95 |
| Total Spent | $421.14 |
| Remaining | $78.86 |
- IR emission wavelength: 720 nm
- Verified safe under guidance from Radiation Safety Officer
Key research topics include:
- Blink frequency and duration analysis
- IR safety standards
- Computer Vision Syndrome epidemiology
- Fatigue detection via eye behavior
📖 Full report available here: FPR Report
We thank:
- Professor Qiangfei Xia for guidance and support
- UMass ECE Department for project resources and infrastructure
Labeled view showing sensor, PCB, battery, and wiring inside glasses arm
*Final Product with 3D printed frame
This project is for academic demonstration purposes. Contact the team for reuse or collaboration inquiries.