“Chinese traffic police can access not only real-time brainwave data of truck drivers but also their names, affiliated companies, and other information,” Science reported, as industries and law enforcement adopt neural monitoring technology.
Industrial safety helmets equipped with brainwave sensors are currently operating at subway construction sites, mines, steel plants, and petrochemical facilities across China, The Chosun Daily reported.
Manufacturing company Huanao Anquan developed the safety gear using sensors to measure blood oxygen saturation and brainwave activity. Artificial intelligence synthesizes this data to evaluate worker fatigue and stress states, triggering warnings when accident risks rise.
Over 2,000 of these helmets are in use across subway construction projects in Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Beijing. Total collection time for brainwave data gathered by the devices exceeds 300,000 hours.
Transportation companies also deploy neural monitoring caps developed by Diikeji to track commercial drivers. The system attaches electrodes to a cap worn by truck drivers to measure brainwaves during transit.
Artificial intelligence rates driver fatigue on a scale from 0 to 100. If scores drop below a set threshold, an onboard camera activates to record the driver while simultaneously notifying the transportation firm.
The technology is installed in 890 trucks operating in Shanxi Province. Data collected through these caps connects directly to police networks.
Police use the system to penalize distracted motorists and investigate fatigued drivers involved in crashes. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security implemented rules in June allowing brainwave measurements as official evidence in traffic accident investigations.
Neural monitoring extends beyond China. Canadian mining technology company Wenco supplies the SmartCap, which uses five forehead sensors to measure worker brainwaves.
More than 5,000 users wear the device at mines and construction sites in Australia, Ghana, and Mexico. Critics warn that workers consistently flagged as fatigued face potential disadvantages in personnel evaluations and employment status.
Regulatory pushback is emerging in response to workplace neural monitoring. California lawmakers enacted legislation in September banning companies from collecting worker neural data or analyzing emotional states through artificial intelligence.
The California law takes effect in January. It aims to prevent safety monitoring systems from turning into tools for surveillance and worker control.
The helmets operate at subway construction sites in Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Beijing, as well as mines, steel plants, and petrochemical facilities. Over 2,000 units are active in these locations.
Diikeji cap sensors measure truck driver brainwave activity while artificial intelligence evaluates fatigue on a 0 to 100 scale. Low scores trigger an onboard camera and notify the transport operator.
The legislation fundamentally prohibits companies from collecting workers’ neural data or analyzing their emotional states using artificial intelligence tools. The statute takes effect in January.