Affective computing is the next step. Machines capable of measuring your emotions and relating to you based on how you feel. In the near future, your mobile and your computer will cease to be neutral devices and will become your “friends”.
Research from the University of Sussex (UK) has shown that measuring a person’s movements while using a computer makes it possible to judge whether they are interested in what they are seeing on the screen. With the so-called “non-instrumental movements” (those that do not have a precise objective and are unconscious) we reveal to an attentive observer much of what we feel.
The work, led by Dr. Harry Witchel, has shown that when someone is very interested in what they see, they almost completely suppress these involuntary movements.
The study could have big implications for the development of artificial intelligence. Computers of the future will capture that body language and adapt to the mood and interest of whoever is in front of them, to re-engage them with eye-catching content. It could even be used to develop companion robots capable of reading people’s feelings and acting accordingly.
The 27 participants in the experiment spent three minutes receiving stimuli from a computer, from fun games to tedious readings on European Union banking regulation. Meanwhile, they used a trackball instead of a mouse, which minimizes the movements compared to those made when using a mouse. Video recordings showed that the tasks that hooked them the most involved a reduction in non-instrumental movements of up to 42%.
