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ted.com

12

Jan

2010

FaceSense: Mind-reading from MIT

By Maria Popova

70’s-style mind-reading for the digital age, or why we all say one thing and mean another.

We have a longstanding fascination with the human face and the wealth of data that it holds. Now, the Affective Computing Group at the MIT Media Lab (another Brain Pickings darling) has developed FaceSense — a software application that detects head and face gestures in real time, analyzes them and deduces information about the person’s emotional disposition and mental state.

The principle, of course, is nothing new — back in the late 70’s, legendary psychologist Paul Ekman pioneered FACS, the Facial Actions Coding System, which is used to this day by anyone from academic researchers to the CIA to draw information about cognitive-affective states based on the micromuscle contractions of the human face. Though the MIT project doesn’t explicitly disclose it, we bet the data encoding is based, at least to some degree, on FACS.

But what makes FaceSense different and important is that it enables the extraction of such cognitive-affective information from pre-recorded video. And in the midst of all the neuromarketing hype — which is, for the most part, just that: hype — it offers an interesting model for collecting consumer psychology insight remotely, a scalable and useful tool for the age of telecommuting and sentiment analysis. What’s more, it helps bypass the quintessential unreliability of self-report in product testing.

Its applications can, of course, extend far beyond the marketing industry. An accurate disposition detection model for video can be used in anything from analyzing politicians’ televised appearances to testing news anchors for bias. And, judging by the abundance of all things video at CES this year, FaceSense has firmly planted its feet in a rich and ever-expanding space.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 7:33 am in advertising, psychology, software and was tagged , , , , , .

49 Responses

  1. FaceSense: Mind-reading from MIT | Brain Pickings http://bit.ly/7VPQ7e (via feedly)

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    hvaudaux on January 12th, 2010 at 8:11 am

  2. FaceSense – new software from MIT @MediaLab analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    brainpicker on January 12th, 2010 at 10:06 am

  3. RT @brainpicker

    FaceSense – new software from MIT @MediaLab analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    amalucky on January 12th, 2010 at 10:07 am

  4. RT @brainpicker: FaceSense – new software from MIT @MediaLab analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    pingkwa on January 12th, 2010 at 10:08 am

  5. RT @brainpicker: FaceSense – new software from MIT @MediaLab analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    asadchawla on January 12th, 2010 at 10:12 am

  6. Neuromarketing… RT @brainpicker: new software from MIT analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    suzannekats on January 12th, 2010 at 10:12 am

  7. Cool! FaceSense – new software from MIT @MediaLab analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj (via @brainpicker)

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    snorrem on January 12th, 2010 at 10:13 am

  8. [GReader] FaceSense: Mind-reading from MIT http://bit.ly/5W36VY

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    TheRoel on January 12th, 2010 at 10:24 am

  9. FaceSense: Mind-reading from MIT http://bit.ly/7XsMje

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    aymanvanbregt on January 12th, 2010 at 10:25 am

  10. RT @aymanvanbregt: FaceSense: Mind-reading from MIT http://bit.ly/7XsMje

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    suijkerwerk on January 12th, 2010 at 10:34 am

  11. “70’s-style mind-reading for the digital age, or why we all say one thing and mean another.” http://bit.ly/73lp2a

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    LenKendall on January 12th, 2010 at 10:49 am

  12. FaceSense – new software from MIT @MediaLab analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj (via @brainpicker)

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    lupeke on January 12th, 2010 at 10:57 am

  13. #DelicioBot : FaceSense: Mind-reading from MIT | Brain Pickings http://bit.ly/845Pe1

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    deliciobot on January 12th, 2010 at 11:22 am

  14. RT @LenKendall: “70’s-style mind-reading for the digital age, or why we all say one thing and mean another.” http://bit.ly/73lp2a

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    savyagency on January 12th, 2010 at 11:28 am

  15. RT @brainpicker: FaceSense – new software from MIT @MediaLab analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    viojanen on January 12th, 2010 at 11:42 am

  16. RT @lupeke: FaceSense – new software from MIT @MediaLab analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj (via @br …

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    djazz on January 12th, 2010 at 11:59 am

  17. FaceSense: A face-detection software attempts to deduce emotional state in real-time http://bit.ly/5Rloie /via @brainpicker

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    noahWG on January 12th, 2010 at 1:03 pm

  18. WOW.. This can be very useful for Marketers! FaceSense software reads the expressions of your face.. http://bit.ly/7gqDYv

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    nsarilakis on January 12th, 2010 at 1:50 pm

  19. [...] FaceSense: Mind-reading from MIT January 12th, 2010 [...]

  20. RT @brainpicker: new software from MIT analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    christophemorin on January 12th, 2010 at 4:10 pm

  21. New software from MIT analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    QaalfaDibeehi on January 12th, 2010 at 4:13 pm

  22. RT @christophemorin RT @brainpicker: new software from MIT analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    velascop on January 12th, 2010 at 4:36 pm

  23. FaceSense – breakthrough MIT Media Lab software analyzes facial gestures in video to deduce emotions http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    brainpicker on January 12th, 2010 at 5:00 pm

  24. RT @brainpicker: FaceSense – breakthrough MIT Media Lab software analyzes facial gestures in video to deduce emotions http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    hellokinsella on January 12th, 2010 at 5:03 pm

  25. RT @brainpicker: FaceSense – breakthrough MIT Media Lab software analyzes facial gestures in video to deduce emotions http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    JessicaColaco on January 12th, 2010 at 5:15 pm

  26. RT @brainpicker: FaceSense – breakthrough MIT Media Lab software analyzes facial gestures in video to deduce emotions http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    tim_kau on January 12th, 2010 at 5:16 pm

  27. ???????? RT @brainpicker: FaceSense – MIT Media Lab software analyzes facial gestures in video to deduce emotions http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    Spiny_anteater on January 12th, 2010 at 5:20 pm

  28. My poker face is in trouble HT@brainpicker: FaceSense MIT software analyzes facial gestures in video to deduce emotions http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    thaz7 on January 12th, 2010 at 5:57 pm

  29. RT @brainpicker: FaceSense – breakthrough MIT Media Lab software analyzes facial gestures in video to deduce emotions http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    MatthewWillcox on January 12th, 2010 at 6:29 pm

  30. FaceSense (MIT Media Lab) tool used to deduce emotions for Customer Experience design http://ow.ly/VBIj via @brainpicker

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    finikiotis on January 12th, 2010 at 6:37 pm

  31. This is amazing and a little scary. FaceSense: Mind-reading from MIT http://j.mp/6JtWtN

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    paradisetossed on January 12th, 2010 at 6:50 pm

  32. RT @JessicaColaco: FaceSense – breakthrough MIT Media Lab software analyzes facial gestures in video to deduce emotions ! http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    iPayStation on January 12th, 2010 at 6:52 pm

  33. RT @finikiotis: FaceSense (MIT Media Lab) tool used to deduce emotions for Customer Experience design http://ow.ly/VBIj via @brainpicker

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    elldir on January 12th, 2010 at 7:58 pm

  34. RT @christophemorin: RT @brainpicker: new software from MIT analyzes facial gestures in video to read sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    BertDecker on January 13th, 2010 at 2:52 am

  35. FaceSense: Mind-reading from MIT http://bit.ly/4yQcUk [will the real time web give birth to new big brothers?]

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    tdebaillon on January 13th, 2010 at 4:59 am

  36. RT @tdebaillon: FaceSense: Mind-reading from MIT http://bit.ly/4yQcUk [will the real time web give birth to new big brothers?]

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    albertedenis on January 13th, 2010 at 5:05 am

  37. Old techniques put into a product. Nice, but quite simplistic http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2010/01/12/facesense/

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    coquinho61 on January 13th, 2010 at 6:35 am

  38. RT @christophemorin: RT @brainpicker: new software from MIT analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    CtCw_BIGTOE on January 14th, 2010 at 11:07 am

  39. Interesting.. RT @ValeskaUX: Mind-reading FaceSense analyzes face gestures in realtime,deducing emotional/mental states http://bit.ly/4TMNPE

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    testingqa on January 15th, 2010 at 1:54 am

  40. RT @QaalfaDibeehi: New software from MIT analyzes facial gestures in video to “read” sentiment http://ow.ly/VBIj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    BeyondP on January 15th, 2010 at 11:00 am

  41. MIT #MediaLab #FaceSense sfwr analyzes #realtime head/face gestures, detects emotional/mental state from video http://tinyurl.com/yz5shwh)

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    dsolomonoff on January 15th, 2010 at 6:01 pm

  42. FaceSense: Mind-reading from MIT http://ff.im/-enBdI

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    shtole on January 16th, 2010 at 2:47 am

  43. FaceSense: Mind-reading from MIT http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2010/01/12/facesense/

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    inahill on January 18th, 2010 at 8:53 am

  44. RT: @daveberman Check out this article on Affectiva (my new company) http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2010/01/12/facesense/ neat!

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    patrickmoran on January 20th, 2010 at 12:19 pm

  45. Mind-reading for the digital era: MIT software that analyses your emotional bodylanguage http://bit.ly/7F5KlZ (via @brainpickings)

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    DomBoyd on January 21st, 2010 at 2:33 pm

  46. WSJ covers the MIT’s FaceSense emotion-reading software we featured 10 days ago (http://is.gd/6PJQQ) http://is.gd/6PJMs

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    brainpicker on January 22nd, 2010 at 2:57 pm

  47. RT @brainpicker: WSJ covers the MIT’s FaceSense emotion-reading software we featured 10 days ago (http://is.gd/6PJQQ) http://is.gd/6PJMs

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

    Alheri on January 22nd, 2010 at 7:39 pm

  48. [...] I was catching up on posts from one of my favorite blogs, Brain Pickings, I stumbled upon this post about a software application developed by the Affective Computing Group at the MIT Media Lab. The [...]

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