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Researchers Aim To "Read Minds" of PC Users

Posted by kdawson on from the knew-you-were-going-to-say-that dept.

hhavensteincw writes "Scientists at Tufts University are researching the use of light aimed at the forehead to measure the stress, work overload, or distraction a computer user may be feeling, as a way to adjust the UI to adapt to a user's emotional state. The research combines biomedical engineering and machine learning to adjust the UI. The project, which requires users to wear a futuristic head band, uses light to measure the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain that signals a user's rising stress levels typically associated with increasingly difficult tasks."

3 of 121 comments (clear)

  1. nothing new, nothing useful by kabrakan · · Score: 3, Interesting

    God, there are so many stories about this kind of tech. But you know, its not a very useful interface unless it has the right software to communicate with it--Like intelligent agents that show their own emotion, interacting with yours. I mean, does reading my physiology and figuring out that i'm stressed going to make the web page load faster?

    --
    Slartibartfast:"Is that your robot?"
    Marvin:"No, I'm mine."
  2. Re:Does it run as a daemon? by arivanov · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Yep.

    And I bet a case of beer that the first PHB to purchase the device will put it to use as a lie detector in teleconference meetings straight away: "Jones, your stress levels have increased when we discussed the project deadlines. Are you hiding something?"

    No thanks, I would not like something like that hooked up to my computer...

    --
    Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
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  3. Seriously... by tcdk · · Score: 2, Interesting

    .. what would you use this for?

    Lets say that you application ,at any give time can know the stress level of the user. On a scale from 1 to 11.

    How would you want an application that you use or develop to changes it workings depending on this?

    There's an example of workload sharing in TFA, but really, there's a fine line between "this person is stressed and working well with that", and "this person is overstressed, and we better share the load a bit".

    And for everyday use... "You seem stressed - I'll delay all your incoming mails (including the one you are stressed over not having arrived yet)" ...

    I just don't think our computers are intelligent enough right now to use this information to anything useful...

    --
    TC - My Photos..