Italian Space Agency Develops Smart Sleep Mask for Astronaut Health

The Italian Space Agency (ASI) has funded the SOMNIIA MONITOR project, which produced a smart sleep mask capable of non‑invasive monitoring of heart rate, breathing, temperature, movement and brain activity. Developed by the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) together with the Universities of Bologna and Salento and the CETMA research centre, the mask uses AI algorithms to automatically identify sleep stages and assess sleep quality.

The device is being prepared for testing on the International Space Station to support long‑duration missions such as the Moon‑to‑Mars program. In parallel, ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano addressed experts at the Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute in Bologna, discussing the physiological challenges of spaceflight and the importance of technologies like the smart mask for maintaining astronaut health.

The project aims to transfer the technology to everyday use on Earth while enhancing scientific understanding of sleep in microgravity.