NSC Names Semifinalists for 2026 Safety Innovation Challenge
Ten technology companies will showcase tools designed to monitor and mitigate workplace fatigue during the upcoming NSC Safety Summit.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- Mar 30, 2026
The National Safety Council has announced 10 semifinalists for the 2026 Work to Zero Safety Innovation Challenge, an initiative aimed at identifying technologies that prevent workplace injuries and fatalities.
This year’s competition focuses on fatigue, a risk factor that research shows increases injury risks by 37% during 12-hour shifts. The semifinalists will present their solutions at the NSC Safety Summit in May, where attendees will vote to determine three finalists.
The 2026 semifinalists include:
- Design Interactive: A mobile system using wearables to monitor fatigue.
- electrocore, Inc.: A handheld device that stimulates the vagus nerve to improve alertness.
- Impairment Science Inc.: An app that uses neuroscience-based tests to assess cognitive impairment.
- Innsightful, Inc.: A wearable platform that tracks physiological indicators of exhaustion.
- MakuSafe Wearable Tech: A platform that uses motion sensing to predict fatigue-related strain.
- Predictive Safety SRP, Inc.: Tools that assess worker alertness and manage predictive risk.
- Pulsar Informatics: A predictive analytics platform originally developed from NASA technology.
- SmartTec Inc.: An AI platform that detects fatigue through video check-ins.
- SOBEREYE Inc.: A smartphone assessment that measures eye response to light.
- Vocadian: A voice AI solution that analyzes biomarkers to forecast fatigue risk.
The winner will be announced following a final presentation session. All semifinalists are eligible for the Work to Zero Pilot Grant Program, which provides up to $60,000 in total funding to help organizations test these technologies in real-world settings.
About the Author
Jesse Jacobs is assistant editor of OHSOnline.com.