European Expert Platform to Address Measurement of Human Emotions

Discussing the best ways to measure human feelings and emotions is the aim of a new European expert platform. Results of the platform FEEL EUROPE will help to create the basis for novel research topics, technologies, cooperation and innovations across various applications and industrial branches, believe participants in a new EU-funded project.

In the coming months, more than 30 scientists, engineers and other experts from 10 European countries will not only discuss ways of measuring human emotions, but will also try to envision specific technical applications. However, it is not the intention of the current project to find solutions yet, says Professor Klaus-Peter Hoffmann from the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT) in Germany, who coordinates the project together with Professor Eduardo Fernandez from the University Miguel Hernandez in Elche, Spain.

As a first step, participants will attempt to summarise the scientific state of play and develop visions for the future. These will be published in a White Paper in the course of 2008, Professor Hoffmann explains. "This could then form the basis for new project ideas in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)." Such projects could investigate novel cognitive technical systems such as human computer interfaces (HCIs), systems for emotional learning or eventually the possibility of equipping robots with the capability to express emotions.

However, feelings and emotions, by definition, are a sensitive area. Hence, the platform will also address gender, diversity and ethical issues, one question being: should all robot systems be able to express emotions? The launch workshop in Germany clearly showed that an emotional distinction between man and robot has to be maintained. "We thought of children and teenagers: imagine them growing up surrounded by robots that keep smiling while they get a hack on the shin. This could severely inhibit the development of their social competence," Professor Hoffmann points out.

As feelings and emotions have a physiological impact, there are various measuring methods that can help detect them, such as voice recognition, observation of blood pressure, pulse, breathing or sympathic skin response. However, while "measuring principles are well known today, and the biological body can be investigated by electrical, magnetic, thermical, mechanical, optical, acoustical and chemical means, new combinations of these methods with novel signal algorithms are needed for the measurement of emotions", the project's vision paper states.

For further information, please visit:
http://www.feeleurope.org

Copyright ©European Communities, 2007
Neither the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, nor any person acting on its behalf, is responsible for the use, which might be made of the attached information. The attached information is drawn from the Community R&D Information Service (CORDIS). The CORDIS services are carried on the CORDIS Host in Luxembourg - http://cordis.europa.eu. Access to CORDIS is currently available free-of-charge.

Most Popular Now

Using Data and AI to Create Better Healt…

Academic medical centers could transform patient care by adopting principles from learning health systems principles, according to researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and the University of California, San Diego. In...

AI Medical Receptionist Modernizing Doct…

A virtual medical receptionist named "Cassie," developed through research at Texas A&M University, is transforming the way patients interact with health care providers. Cassie is a digital-human assistant created by Humanate...

Northern Ireland Completes Nationwide Ro…

Go-lives at Western and Southern health and social care trusts mean every pathology service is using the same laboratory information management system; improving efficiency and quality. An ambitious technology project to...

AI Tool Set to Transform Characterisatio…

A multinational team of researchers, co-led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, has developed and tested a new AI tool to better characterise the diversity of individual cells within...

AI Detects Hidden Heart Disease Using Ex…

Mass General Brigham researchers have developed a new AI tool in collaboration with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to probe through previously collected CT scans and identify...

Human-AI Collectives Make the Most Accur…

Diagnostic errors are among the most serious problems in everyday medical practice. AI systems - especially large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT-4, Gemini, or Claude 3 - offer new ways...

MHP-Net: A Revolutionary AI Model for Ac…

Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer globally and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Accurate segmentation of liver tumors is a crucial step for the management of the...

Highland Marketing Announced as Official…

Highland Marketing has been named, for the second year running, the official communications partner for HETT Show 2025, the UK's leading digital health conference and exhibition. Taking place 7-8 October...

Groundbreaking TACIT Algorithm Offers Ne…

Researchers at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a novel algorithm that could provide a revolutionary tool for determining the best options for patients - both in the treatment...

The Many Ways that AI Enters Rheumatolog…

High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is the standard to diagnose and assess progression in interstitial lung disease (ILD), a key feature in systemic sclerosis (SSc). But AI-assisted interpretation has the potential...