Advances in artificial intelligence and digital technology are opening new ways to understand the human mind without invasive equipment.
Austrian cognitive technology company SOMAREALITY is helping shape the future of real-time cognitive monitoring through its partnership with global eye-tracking leader Tobii. The company has also secured $3.35 million in a Series A funding round to support its growth.
The collaboration is built on a simple scientific principle: our eyes reveal far more than where we are looking. Tiny changes in pupil size, eye movements and gaze patterns can provide valuable information about cognitive effort, stress and fatigue. By combining precise eye-tracking hardware with advanced cognitive algorithms, the two companies aim to transform these biological signals into practical insights for healthcare, aviation, automotive safety and professional training.
For medical professionals, the technology could offer an important new layer of support in situations where concentration is critical.
Imagine a surgeon several hours into a complex operation. Fatigue may gradually build, narrowing attention and increasing the likelihood of mistakes before anyone notices. Similar challenges exist for pilots flying through difficult weather or drivers travelling long distances, where mental overload can silently affect decision-making and reaction times.
Traditionally, measuring cognitive workload has required intrusive methods such as electroencephalography (EEG), which monitors electrical activity in the brain. While effective in research environments, these systems are often impractical for everyday professional use.
Researchers have shown that changes in pupil diameter, fixation behaviour and rapid eye movements, known as saccades, correlate with mental workload. One of the most important physiological indicators is the Pupillary Light Reflex (PLR). Although pupils naturally react to changes in lighting, they also respond to increased cognitive effort. Subtle pupil dilation can indicate that the brain is working harder than usual, allowing cognitive strain to be monitored continuously and non-invasively.
However, collecting accurate eye-tracking data is only part of the challenge.
According to the companies, reliable cognitive monitoring depends on highly precise measurements. Even small inaccuracies in gaze tracking or pupil detection can significantly reduce confidence in the results.
This is where Tobii’s technology plays a central role. With decades of experience in high-precision eye-tracking hardware, the company provides systems designed to deliver consistent and reliable measurements across research laboratories and real-world environments. High-quality data forms the foundation on which cognitive analysis can be built.
SOMAREALITY then converts those measurements into meaningful information.
The Austrian company has developed cognitive algorithms that analyse Tobii’s eye-tracking signals to estimate mental workload, attention levels and fatigue in real time. A key feature of its technology is a real-time brightness model, which is designed to distinguish changes caused by lighting conditions from those associated with cognitive effort, helping isolate meaningful physiological responses during operation.
The company’s approach is supported by more than ten peer-reviewed scientific publications and has been adopted by organisations including Intuitive Surgical, Lufthansa and the Austrian Armed Forces. Beyond supplying software, SOMAREALITY also supports customers throughout implementation and interpretation of cognitive data.
Its analytical models evaluate several eye-based indicators simultaneously. The Pupillary Light Reflex helps separate light-induced pupil changes from those linked to mental effort, while fixation duration provides insight into how deeply information is being processed. Saccadic eye movements, or the rapid shifts between fixation points, can reveal search strategies, attention patterns and stress levels.
Rather than delivering raw eye-tracking data alone, the combined system is intended to provide interpretable cognitive insights in real time.
Healthcare represents one of the partnership’s most significant application areas.
During lengthy surgical procedures, the technology could help identify when mental workload begins to increase, potentially allowing teams to recognise fatigue before performance declines. In medical education, cognitive monitoring may also enable training programmes to adjust dynamically according to an individual trainee’s mental state, creating more personalised learning experiences.
Beyond healthcare, the technology is being explored across several industries where human performance directly affects safety.
In aviation, eye-tracking analysis can monitor pilot workload during demanding phases such as take-off and landing while providing instructors with objective information about stress levels during simulator training. In automotive applications, the system can detect early signs of drowsiness or distraction, adding another layer of driver safety.
Virtual reality also presents opportunities for adaptive learning environments. Training simulations could automatically adjust their complexity according to a user’s cognitive workload, supporting applications ranging from defence and medical education to workforce development.
The broader scientific foundation for these applications continues to expand. Studies across cognitive psychology, neuroscience and human-computer interaction have consistently demonstrated strong links between pupil responses and mental workload. Applied research is also increasingly showing how eye-tracking technologies can improve training, safety and performance in real-world settings.
01.07.2026.
SOURCE
Blog by Adrian Brodesser; https://www.tobii.com/blog/measuring-cognitive-load-in-real-time
