MIT Researchers Develop Device to Determine Human Emotions

Shamsheer Kailey

Researchers from MIT’s CSAIL (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory) have developed a device that can determine human emotions by analyzing reflection in wireless signals. The device, called EQ-Radio, does not depend on emotional cues rather uses wireless signals that bounce off of human body. The reflection measures breathing and heart rate of the human and the information is used to predict the emotion state of the person as being happy, sad, angry, or excited.

EQ-Radio’s success rate in detecting emotions is higher than its rivals such as Microsoft’s Emotion API. In a sample size of 30 people between the age of 19-77, EQ- Radio correctly guessed emotions 87 percent of the time. The leader of the project, Dina Katabi, said that they hope this technology can be used to monitor and diagnose medical conditions such as depression and anxiety.

It could serve as a less invasive way to monitor patient’s heartbeat thus, minimizing the need to be hooked to monitoring devices. This technology could also be used by TV and movie studios to read what parts of movie worked in focus groups, and smart homes could change the music based on the person’s mood.

 

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­­­­­­­­­­Mary Beth Griggs, Wireless Sensors Can Detect People’s Emotions, Popular Science (September 20, 2016), http://www.popsci.com/wireless-sensors-can-detect-peoples-emotions.