Affective Computing

By LukePedersen
  • Logic Theorist AI program

    Logic Theorist AI program

    Source: https://history-computer.com/logic-theorist/
    Designed to discover new and more complete mathematical proofs. The program would provide better and more detailed proof than humans could do themselves. "While computer programming was already existing at the time the invention was made, AI and Heuristic programming were not." Both of these pursuits would see big jumps due to the Logic Theorist. Below are the two inventors of the program, Herbert Simon and Allen Newell.

  • Artificial Intelligence coined in 1956 at a conference

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    Introduction of Artificial Intelligence

  • General Problem Solver AI Program

  • LISP AI programming language

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    Emotional Contributions of Paul Ekman

    Asked the question if emotional expressions were universal across cultures. Answer: Yes!
    Proposed 6 basic emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, surprise fear, disgust
    Adopted and popularized a taxonomy of human facial expressions called Facial Action Coding System (FACS)
    Also developed emotional FACS, as well as FACS Affect Interpretation Dictionary

  • Picard enters MIT Media Lab as a research assistant

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    Entrance of Rosalind Picard

    Introduced the beginning stages of developing an understanding of affective computing.

  • Picard joined Vision and Modeling group as faculty.

  • Picard discovered Manfred Clynes stenograph

  • Picard began sharing ideas with colleagues

    Eventually she expanded these ideas and shared them with the public
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    Beginnings of Affective Computing

  • Wrote her book "Affective Computing"

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    MIT Media Lab forms the Affective Computing Research Group

    “Combines engineering and computer science with psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, sociology, education, psychophysiology, value-centered design, ethics, and more.”
    A multidisciplinary approach is necessary for computers to identify and process emotions, through pattern recognition and machine learning.
    Utilized Paul Ekman’s FACS

  • Developed a galvactivator, which tracked wearer’s skin conductivity

  • Kaliouby meets Picard

    Kaliouby developed an emotion recognition tool called MindReader as well as contributed to the development of iSet, an emotional prosthetic based on Kaliouby’s FaceSense software

  • Kaliouby Joins Research Group

  • iCalm bracelet developed

  • Emotient founded

    working with facial recognition software

  • Affectivia startup

    Picard and Kaliouby founded. One of the first companies to leverage affective computing for commercial reasons.
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    Affective Computing and the Commerical Space

  • The Millward-Brown test

    If Affectiva could correctly identify the responses to the ads that Millward-Brown put out, they would be a financial and business partner. Affectiva succeed, and a $4.5 million dollar deal was agreed upon.

  • Beyond Verbal launch

    emotions analytics company that studies the voice’s intonations

  • Physiio launch

    Picard relaunched a company called Physiio, which combined with Empatica to become Empatica Inc. They sold Q sensors that calculate stress levels, arousal, sleep, and physical activity.

  • Near Future Prediction: Eye Arousal Detector

    I predict there will be devices and cameras in the future that will be able to determine what arousal state we are in based on how our eyes are looking. Sometimes our eyes change based on our arousal state, with our pupils going larger when we feel in danger, and the pupils going smaller when we feel safe. Maybe there can be advanced devices that can do that.

  • Far Future Prediction: Unconscious emotion detector.

    There are information and details that occur at an unconscious level, that sometimes other people and ourselves do no recognize, like biases and emotions that are so deeply dug into our minds that they aren't easily discernable. With more data detecting emotional states and facial expressions, I believe it could get as advanced as figuring out if people have an unconscious feeling or emotion that is digging at them that they don't realize. Could be beneficial for mental health.