Geographic Mapping of Emotions

datafr0g writes "New Scientist has an overview of a project that maps emotional responses to geographic locations. Emotions are read from an individual using a Galvanic Skin Response Sensor. This data is combined with that from a GPS Receiver and the results can be viewed with mapping software such as Google Earth to show where the emotional highs and lows of the day traveling were spent. Points of significance on the map could also be tagged with more info by the user, which could make the information even more useful for town planners, architects, etc. From the project site: 'Bio Mapping is a research project which explores new ways that we as individuals can make use of the information we can gather about our own bodies. Instead of security technologies that are designed to control our behaviour, this project envisages new tools that allows people to selectively share and interpret their own bio data.'" I like the concept of architecture designed with emotion in mind, but galvanic skin response might not be the most accurate way to read "emotion" -- it might show that joggers are just as happy as sunbathers.

Comments

Imagined places can change emotion too

[PurifyYourMind]

Years ago at a sports psychologist's office I had these skin-response devices (among other things) attached to me while I was told to close my eyes and imagine being in a relaxing natural setting. It was neat to see my brain activity mapped out on a monitor and change drastically because of those thoughts. So not only do real places affect us, but imagined ones as well.

Re:Imagined places can change emotion too

[shotgunsaint]

I, for one, would love to see comparisons between emotional data gathered from people in real-world locations; people on guided, tour-like meditations of the same locations; and people in self-guided meditations. I've often wondered whether peoples' minds are better equipped to relax themselves than relaxing vacations.

Re:Imagined places can change emotion too

[andrewman327]

That is the principle behind a field called ideokinesis. Imagining an action causes a very similar brain reaction as actually doing it. In other news, this device reports that geeks frequently have orgies with their many elvin mistresses.

check it

[the dark hero]

The information age is upon us. http://wefeelfine.org/

Why, when We Feel Fine?

[Anonymous Coward]

Check out this emotional guide to the internet: We Feel Fine An exploration of human emotion, in six movements. This is a very interesting Web 2.0 website that harvests emotion information collected in Blogs and organizes it in many ways for easy visualization.