Dell Creates Mood Reading Software

Dell’s research and development division has said that they have created software that should be able to read our moods as soon as 2017.

Dell are trying headsets made by Neurosky and other manufacturers that cost between £60 and £120 to see if they can accurately gauge the mood of the wearer. A London based company recently paired a Neurosky headset with a Google Glass allowing the user to take a picture by just thinking about it.

Moods are far more complicated than taking picture though, pictures are basically taken using an ON or OFF switch there is no in between, there are no other states and you either want the picture or you don’t, this is relatively simple. Sad, happy, hungry, bored, tired, upset, the list goes on. Scientists believe these moods will be far harder to gauge as they can change quickly, can mix with other emotions and are generally harder to detect. To try and make the headsets more accurate, the scientists are going to add a pulse oximeter, a device to monitor the level of oxygen in the blood, or an ECG monitor, a device to measure heart rhythm.

Today brain-monitoring is already being used by people with severe disabilities to control wheelchairs and computers with their thought, but this mood reading software could extend the possibilities. In the office, the software could detect when the user is bored, and suggest taking a break. Alternatively it could detect when the user is feeling motivated and direct incoming calls and emails so that it does not distract the user. For the gamer it could be used to detect when a level isn’t challenging enough, and increase the difficulty automatically or if the user is stuck could offer a hint to help them out.

If all the experiments are successful Dell are hoping that they should be able to release something within a 3 year time frame.

Thanks to BBC for supplying us with this information.

Image courtesy of Neurosky.