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Geographic Mapping of Emotions

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the girlfriend's-apartments-marked-in-red dept.

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.

5 of 39 comments (clear)

  1. Imagined places can change emotion too by PurifyYourMind · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:Imagined places can change emotion too by shotgunsaint · · Score: 4, Interesting

      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.

      --
      The future isn't here until I can type "car keys" into Google and have it say "You left them in your pants last night."
  2. Mapping Fear by krell · · Score: 4, Funny

    Here ya go: http://www.waywelivednc.com/maps/historical/cape-f ear.gif

    --
    Where were you when the voynix came?
  3. Yay! by growse · · Score: 4, Funny

    Every day, we see more and more silly things to do with GPS and Google Earth. I, for one, embrace silliness.

    Soon, we'll be able to draw big maps of the earth showing which countries are happier than others. There could be league tables of happiness, angryness, sadness, fear etc. Maybe entire gambling rings....

    --
    There is nothing interesting going on at my blog
  4. Dont show to wife by novus+ordo · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Honey, what is this redlight district?"

    --
    "You're everywhere. You're omnivorous."