A raised eyebrow, quizzical look or a nod of the
head are just a few of the facial expressions computers could soon be using to
read people's minds.
An "emotionally aware" computer being developed by British and American
scientists will be able to read an individual's thoughts by analysing a
combination of facial movements that represent underlying feelings.
"The system we have developed allows a wide range of mental states to be
identified just by pointing a video camera at someone," said Professor Peter
Robinson, of the University of Cambridge in England.
He and his collaborators believe the mind-reading computer's applications
could range from improving people's driving skills to helping companies tailor
advertising to people's moods.
"Imagine a computer that could pick the right emotional moment to try to sell
you something, a future where mobile phones, cars and Web sites could read our
mind and react to our moods," he added.
The technology is already programmed to recognise different facial
expressions generated by actors. Robinson hopes to get more data to determine
whether someone is bored, interested, confused, or agrees or disagrees when it
is unveiled at a science exhibition in London on Monday.
People visiting the four-day exhibition organised by the Royal Society,
Britain's academy of leading scientists, will be invited to take part in a study
to hone the programme's abilities.
The scientists, who are developing the technology in collaboration with
researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United
States, also hope to get it to accept other inputs such as posture and gesture.
"Our research could enable Web sites to tailor advertising or products to
your mood," Robinson told Reuters. "For example, a webcam linked with our
software could process your image, encode the correct emotional state and
transmit information to a Web site."
It could also be useful in online teaching to show whether someone
understands what is being explained and in improving road safety by determining
if a driver is confused, bored or tired.
"We are working with a big car company and they envision this being employed
in cars within five years," Robinson said, adding that a camera could be built
into the dashboard.
Anyone who does not want to give away too much information about what they
are feeling, he said, can just cover up the camera.
