Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research (IGD) in Germany have developed a computer capable of recognizing the emotional state of its users.
Christian Peter, a researcher at IGD, explained that modern computers can see and hear the user’s voice thanks to software that analyzes sound and images. However, to enable the computer to recognize the user’s emotions, IGD had to address a series of complex technological challenges related to human emotional states, such as heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, and skin conductivity.
The German scientists have created gloves equipped with sensors that can measure all of these parameters. They have also developed technologies that allow the computer to recognize facial expression changes and identify emotional responses through signals obtained from the user’s voice. This data is connected to a computer’s storage and processing unit. However, these devices only function effectively when users have previously trained the computer.
The IGD scientists hope that in the near future, this new technology could lead to the creation of digital robots that can hear, see, and exhibit appropriate responses to the emotional states of their users.
IGD also announced that they will showcase their new product at the world’s largest computer exhibition (CEBIT 2006), which will take place in Hanover, Germany, from March 9 to 15.
