As many a relationship book can tell you, understanding someone else’s emotions can be a difficult task. Facial expressions aren’t always reliable: A smile can conceal frustration, while a poker face might mask a winning hand. But what if technology could tell us how someone is really feeling? Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed “EQ-Radio,” a device that can detect a person’s emotions using wireless signals. By measuring subtle changes in breathing and heart rhythms, EQ-Radio is 87 percent accurate at detecting if a person is excited, happy, angry or sad — and can do so without on-body sensors. MIT scientists envision the system being used in entertainment, consumer behavior, and health care. Film studios and ad agencies could test viewers’ reactions in real-time, while smart homes could use information about your mood to adjust the heating or suggest that you get some fresh air. They said that wireless signals can capture information about human behavior that is not always visible to the naked eye, believing that the results could pave the way for future technologies that could help monitor and diagnose conditions like depression and anxiety. http://news.mit.edu/2016/detecting-emotions-with-wireless-signals-0920
