Brooch and Wrist piece set for reading inter-personal emotion data

Understanding others’ emotions can be key to being more sensitive and empathetic to others, both in interpersonal and professional, clinical interactions. Facial visual cues of emotion can often be misleading, faked or misconstrued. It is even more difficult to recognise these visual indicators during the current pandemic where mask wearing is prevalent.

Visual cues of emotion can also be more difficult to decipher when suffering from certain conditions such as autism and other conditions can lead to heightened emotions, such as is often the case, post-stroke.

Therefore, a device that can report on live and condition specific emotional data could improve these encounters and relationships.

Using breathing and heart rate data that can be read by radio frequencies, ‘Emotidat’ is a pair of wearable pieces that analyse and determine another persons’ emotions. Antenna/aerials within the tendrils of the brooch transmit frequencies and receive reflections of these frequencies from the person you are facing. After assessing the reflected data of breathing and heart rate patterns via algorithms, the wrist piece then outputs the results via vibrations to alert the wearer as to whether your interaction partner is feeling ‘joy, anger, sadness or pleasure’.

In 2016, researchers from MIT developed an EQ radio device that recognises emotions using wireless RF signals which gather data reflected off a persons’ anatomy which is then analysed via algorithms to determine which of the (above) four emotions the person is feeling (for more information, go to www.eqradio.csail.mit.edu).

‘Emotidat’ develops this concept further into a micro sized device that can be worn on the body, with the RF antenna/aerials facing the person you are having an interaction with. This means that live breathing and heart rate data can be gathered from a person in close proximity.

Emotidat also adds AI in order to adjust for atypical and individualised emotion states in certain conditions.

Using blue tooth, the data is then relayed to the wrist device for results output via vibrations to the wearer’s body.

The form of the brooch is based upon the shape of a mirror neuron. Mirror neurons are nature’s answer to gathering and interpreting interpersonal data that help us to assess the state of mind of others including their emotions and assist us in having sympathetic and empathic interactions.

The main body of both the brooch, wrist piece and also the brooch pin cap are made from high detailed translucent 3D printed plastic (or biodegradable alternative). The hinge pins and brooch pin are made from nickel silver. The aerials running through the brooch antenna are made from copper wire. The circuit board is hand assembled from individual components.