Communications of the ACM
Teaching Old Microphones New Tricks
Researchers are working on mobile phone software that will be able to identify stress in the human voice, hoping it will help to determine the links between irritating situations and subsequent responses.
Credit: RecordingHacks.com
Cornell University researchers are developing mobile phone software that can be trained to identify stress in the human voice.
The StressSense app listens for certain stress indicators, but also is able to learn the specifics of a particular user's voice. StressSense captures and analyzes speech characteristics such as amplitude and frequency, says Cornell's Tanzeem Choudhury.
The researchers hope to develop the app into something that can help users determine the links between irritating situations and subsequent responses.
The researchers also have developed BeWell, an app that focuses more on overall health by looking at sleep, physical activity, and social interaction. BeWell's sleep-tracking feature determines whether the user is awake or not by analyzing usage, light, sound levels, and charging habits.
Meanwhile, University of Virginia researchers are using earphones modified with accelerometers and other microphones to detect the pulse in arteries in the user's ear, making it possible to collect information about the wearer's physical state, including heart rate and activity level.
University of Washington researchers have developed a method for using a smartphone to measure lung function by blowing into the device's microphone. The app, called SpiroSmart, simulates a digital spirometer, which measures the volume of air a person can expel from their lungs.
From The Economist
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