MIT Scientists Use Radio Waves To Sense Human Emotions (cnn.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNNMoney: Researchers at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have developed a device that uses radio waves to detect whether someone is happy, sad, angry or excited. The breakthrough makes it easier to accomplish what scientists have tried to do for years with machines: sense human emotions. The researchers believe tracking a person's feelings is a step toward improving their overall emotional well-being. The technology isn't invasive; it works in the background without a person having to do anything, like wearing a device. The device called EQ-Radio, which was detailed in a paper published online Tuesday, resembles a shoebox, as of now. It works by bouncing wireless signals off a person. These signals are impacted by motion, such as breathing and heartbeats. When the heart pumps blood, a force is exerted onto our bodies, and the skin vibrates ever so slightly. After the radio waves are impacted by these vibrations, they return to the device. A computer then analyzes the signals to identify changes in heartbeat and breathing. The researchers demonstrated their system detects emotions on par with an electrocardiogram (EKG), a common wearable device medical professionals use to monitor the human heart. The machine's analysis of the radio waves relies on artificial intelligence, which learns how various heartbeats indicate certain emotions. As a part of the testing, the machine bounced radio waves off actors who recreated a range of emotions. The more emotions the machine experienced, the better it identified what signals, such as a fast heartbeat, gave away their true feelings. By monitoring radio waves reflected off people who are happy, the machine is exposed to certain signs -- such as heart rate or a type of breathing -- associated with being in good spirits.

Comments

Tinfoil hats!

[LEgregius]

I guess we now have verifiable, logical reason to (keep) wear(ing) a tinfoil hat.

WTF?

[Anonymous Coward]

actors who recreated a range of emotions

their true feelings

Hmm...am I missing something?

Re:WTF?

[ClickOnThis]

I think TFS is a bit sloppy, as is the first link. According to the MIT link, the subjects were not actors, just subjects. From that article:

For the experiments, subjects used videos or music to recall a series of memories that each evoked one the four emotions, as well as a no-emotion baseline. Trained just on those five sets of two-minute videos, EQ-Radio could then accurately classify the person’s behavior among the four emotions 87 percent of the time.

Re:Lame

[Anonymous Coward]

The goal wasn't to make computers able to do something that humans can't do, but to make it do something humans can do, but which computers (so far) cannot.

Ultimately this will just be another augment to automated monitoring, for use in any place where there is benefit to knowing people's emotions but a cost associated with having a human watch them all the time.

AI

[110010001000]

"relies on artificial intelligence, which learns how various heartbeats indicate certain emotions"
Christ, another "AI" breakthough. We call algorithms AI now. Apparently a bunch of "if/else" statements are AI now.

Re:AI

[UnknownSoldier]

That's only 1 / 3 of programming.

i.e.

1. Linear = Unconditional Sequence of instructions
2. Cyclic = Unconditional Iteration / Repetition
3. Choice = Conditional Branching

Re:AI

[UnknownSoldier]

1. It is not really an if-then if the conditional is always hard-coded to true.
2. A _sequence_ is fundamental different from a _conditional_.

* If-then deals with a _single_ sequence point.
* A sequence deals with _multiple_ sequence points.

i.e. If you have _2_ if-then conditionals, A and B, then what is the _order_ they are processed?

* Both at the same time?
* A before B
* B before A
* Neither ?

I understand the abstraction you're trying to get at but you're trying to kludge a model and force it be analogous when it does not map 100%.

Been doing this for years

[penguinoid]

Ever since I can remember, I had the ability to sense electromagnetic emissions from other people to detect their emotional state. I also had an ability I call "aural telepathy" -- the ability to sense a person's thoughts by tuning in to subtle sensations such as tiny vibrations in the air.

Re:Been doing this for years

[110010001000]

Me too. That is how I first learned that girls don't like me.

We call it Voight-Kampff

[blindseer]

I've seen another technology that can track eyes to measure dilation of pupils, heart rate from changes in skin color on the face, as well as breathing. A bit more to estimate body temperature from the infrared. I wonder if it is possible to measure blood pressure, not just that blood pressure falls and rises but something like those inflatable cuffs, without touching the person.

Measuring emotional response from questioning certainly has benefits for a police interrogator, especially if that detective's job is to find out if the suspect is human. I can see this as useful to quickly and easily measure a person's health. Problems with breathing while asleep would be easier with this machine. Put it at the entrance to a hospital and set certain limits on where it might flag someone for more attention. Not to replace more traditional diagnostic tools but to augment it.

If this could allow for removing some of the wires and such from a patient in a hospital and make them more comfortable. The emotional state stuff was already there before, they just automated it a bit more. Only then it was called a polygraph.

Like lie detectors, doesn't work with psychopaths

[blind biker]

Devices that rely on heartbeat, breathing rhythm, sweat etc. only detect (some) emotional states with normal people, but not with psychopaths.

Re:Like lie detectors, doesn't work with psychopat

[dbIII]

Devices that rely on heartbeat, breathing rhythm, sweat etc. only detect (some) emotional states with normal people, but not with psychopaths.

Or it turns out from the summary even actors can fool it.

Greetings, citizen!

[pr0t0]

Greetings, citizen! Your personal stress level appears to be elevated. To ensure a more harmonious life experience and enhance your calm, please report to the nearest behavioral modification center. Thank you for your cooperation, and have a joy-joy day.

Re:Lame

[GrumpySteen]

Ultimately this will just be another augment to automated monitoring, for use in any place where there is benefit to knowing people's emotions but a cost associated with having a human watch them all the time.

Like the TSA security check points at airports?

The TSA already tries to do behavioral profiling. I could see them jumping all over this as the latest magic cure-all to make up for the incompetence of their screeners who miss 95% of the things they're supposed to be watching for.

Re:Like lie detectors, doesn't work with psychopat

[Gravis Zero]

Psychopaths are the most "talented" actors, as they can switch empathy on and off, as required.

This is incorrect. Persons with Antisocial Personality Disorder (aka psychopaths aka sociopaths) have a diminished capacity for empathy or in the most extreme cases, no capacity for empathy at all. This is not something they can control, so cannot "switch empathy on and off". The reason for this is not fully understood but if it's like schizoaffective disorders, it may be treatable.