Uncovering the future workplace: The EyeWarn stakeholder event
The EyeWarn team held our first Stakeholder event at the Royal Society of Arts, London, on the 20th March 2026, to decisively seek the views of leads in the fields most impacted and potentially benefited by the new technologies and functionality pupillometry tracking for fatigue at work. Javier Andreu-Perez and Phoebe Moore gave introductory lectures on the findings so far, and the history for biometric tracking.
Our invited participants were from industry, human resources, and policy. We organised into Focus Groups, to discuss a near-future workplace, where worker wellbeing and productivity are supported through advanced biometric technologies, where eye-tracking sensors are embedded in everyday devices (e.g., computer monitors, safety glasses, or vehicle dashboards) to detect signs of fatigue in real time. These systems monitor indicators such as blink rate, gaze patterns, pupil dilation, and micro-saccades to assess cognitive load and alertness.
When signs of fatigue are detected, the system may prompt the worker to take a break, adjust their workload, or notify a supervisor depending on the severity and context. In high-risk environments (e.g., transport, healthcare, manufacturing), the system could trigger safety protocols or temporarily restrict certain tasks. The system is designed with configurable privacy settings, data governance policies, and transparency features, but its implementation raises questions about ethics, effectiveness, and acceptability across different stakeholders.
Scenario
A mid-sized logistics company has implemented an eye-tracking fatigue detection system across its workforce, including office staff, warehouse operatives, and long-haul drivers. The company reports improvements in safety metrics and reduced accident rates. However, employee reactions are mixed. Some workers appreciate the proactive support for wellbeing, while others express concerns about surveillance, data use, and potential disciplinary consequences. Trade unions and regulators are beginning to take interest, and the company is considering scaling the system across multiple regions. The company needs expert perspectives to evaluate the broader implications of this technology.
Focus groups
Conclusions
The conclusions by the three groups were broadly similar, with concerns raised about; reliability (people show fatigue differently and different levels of fatigue can affect some people worse than others in the same role), privacy (how much data is collected, how can it be stored securely, who has access to it), and worker rights (the technology should not be used in performance reviews, discrimination can be caused by the reasons for fatigue such as caregiving activities outside of work).
Overall researchers were given plenty to think about as the project moves forward.