Scotland: An emotion identification technology created by academics from the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) could benefit people with neurodiverse diseases as autism.
Traditionally, emotion recognition has been a challenging and complex area of study. However, with recent advances in vision processing and low-cost devices such as laptops electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG), UWS scholars have collaborated to harness the power of these technologies to create artificial intelligence (AI) that can accurately read signals related to emotions from brain and facial analysis.
Professor Naeem Ramzan, director of the Human and Affective Computing Research Center for SMART Environments at UWS, said: “Emotions are a fundamental aspect of the human experience, and understanding the signals that trigger different emotions can have a profound impact on various aspects of our lives.
“Our recent study has led to the creation of comprehensive data that can be implemented with wearable technology, using multiple sensors and artificial intelligence, to provide a vital tool for emotion recognition. The data also provides a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in industry, enabling them to gain a greater understanding of emotional triggers and providing a benchmark that could unlock new possibilities for advances in health and wellness, education and safety.
The system uses a multimodal database, developed by UWS researchers, consisting of signals that were recorded during a study using audiovisual stimuli. Study participants were recorded and self-assessed their emotional reaction to each stimulus, in terms of reaction, arousal, and dominance. The signals were captured with a camera and portable wireless equipment that has the potential to allow affective computing methods to be used in everyday applications.
This breakthrough could offer a new tool for clinicians, therapists, and caregivers to better understand the emotional states of people with a variety of neurodiverse conditions; offering the potential to improve mental health assessments and enable early intervention for emotional challenges, opening up greater possibilities for personalized care therapeutic interventions.
The technology could pave the way for the creation of an augmented reality, virtual reality, or robotics application designed specifically to help people understand and express emotions.
