A person's “cognitive load” is the degree to which the person's working memory is engaged in processing information. The more working memory is used, the higher the cognitive load. The higher a person's cognitive load, the greater the chances that “distracted operating” will impact the person's performance in operating a piece of equipment.
For instance, a person driving an automobile while operating a hand-held electronic device (e.g., text messaging on a cellular device) will experience an elevated cognitive load as the person tries to operate both the automobile (the equipment) and the hand-held electronic device at the same time. This impact on performance can be generally referred to as one type of “distracted driving.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “distracted driving” is a dangerous epidemic on America's roadways, as evidenced by the fact that in 2009 alone, it is estimated that nearly 5,500 people were killed, and 450,000 people were injured in distracted driving crashes.
“Distracted operating” isn't limited to distractions caused by the utilization of hand-held electronic devices while operating equipment. Many other activities, events and situations can elevate a person's cognitive load. For instance, other activities, events and/or situations which can elevate a person's cognitive load include, but are not limited to, stress, mood, grief, the person's physical and/or mental health, the person's age, the person's maturity, cigarette smoking, eating, drinking, emergencies, sleepiness, weather conditions, the presence of hazards, “multi-tasking” (e.g., operating the equipment while also utilizing social media, playing games, watching television, listening to music, and/or talking on the telephone).
“Impaired operating” (e.g., under the influence of alcohol, under the influence of illegal drugs, under the influence of prescription drugs) is likewise a concern. For instance, the impact of alcohol on a person's performance in operating an automobile is well known.
Therefore, a need exist for methods of, and apparatuses for, determining if a person operating equipment is experiencing an elevated cognitive load.