1. P. R. Patil college of Management, Amravati.
AFFECTIVE COMPUTING
1. INTRODUCTION
Affective computing gets its name from the field of Psychology, in
which "affect" is, basically, a synonym for "emotion."
Affective computing is human computer interaction in
which a device has the ability to detect and appropriately respond to
its user's emotions and other stimuli. This type of computing device
could gather clues from user emotion from a variety of sources.
Facial expressions, posture, gestures, speech, the force or rhythm of
key strokes and the temperature changes of the hand on a mouse can
all signify changes in the user's emotional state, and these can all be
detected and interpreted by a computer .The Affective Computing
aims to bridge the gap between human emotions and computational
technology. This type of computing could offer benefits in an almost
limitless range of applications. The machine should interpret the
emotional state of humans and adapt its behavior to them, giving an
appropriate response for those emotions. Affective Computing
research combines engineering and computer science with
psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, sociology, education,
psychophysiology, value-centered design, ethics, and more. We bring
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2. P. R. Patil college of Management, Amravati.
together individuals with a diversity of technical, artistic, and human
abilities in a collaborative spirit to push the boundaries of what can
be achieved to improve human affective experience with technology
2.NEEDS OF AFFECTIVE COMPUTING
(1) Designing new ways for people to communicate affective-
cognitive states, especially through creation of novel wearable
sensors and new machine learning algorithms that jointly analyze
multimodal channels of information.
(2) Creating new techniques to assess frustration, stress, and mood
indirectly, through natural interaction and conversation.
(3) Showing how computers can be more emotionally intelligent,
especially responding to a person's frustration in a way that reduces
negative feelings.
(4) Inventing personal technologies for improving self-awareness of
affective state and its selective communication to others.
(5) Increasing understanding of how affect influences personal
health. and
(6) Pioneering studies examining ethical issues in affective
computing.
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3. P. R. Patil college of Management, Amravati.
3. APPLICATION OF AFFECTIVE COMPUTING
3.1 Human-Computer interaction
Human–computer Interaction (HCI) involves the study, planning,
and design of the interaction between people and computers. It is
often regarded as the intersection of computer science, behavioral
science, design and several other fields of study. Interaction between
users and computers occurs at the user interface or simply interface,
which includes both software and hardware; for example, characters
or objects displayed by software on a personal computer's monitor,
input received from users via hardware peripheral s such as keywords
and mouse, and other user interactions with large-scale computerized
systems
Attention to human-machine interaction is important, because
poorly designed human-machine interfaces can lead to many
unexpected problems. One important HCI factor is that different
users form different conceptions or mental models about their
interactions and have different ways of learning and keeping
knowledge and skills
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4. P. R. Patil college of Management, Amravati.
3.2Detecting and recognizing emotional information
Detecting emotional information begins with passive sensor which
capture data about the user's physical state or behavior without
interpreting the input. The data gathered is analogous to the cues
humans use to perceive emotions in others. For example, a video
camera might capture facial expressions, body posture and gestures,
while a microphone might capture speech. Other sensors detect
emotional cues by directly measuring physiological data, such as skin
temperature and galvanic resistance.
3.3Emotion in machines
Another area within affective computing is the design of
computational devices proposed to exhibit either innate emotional
capabilities or that are capable of convincingly simulating emotions.
A more practical approach, based on current technological
capabilities, is the simulation of emotions in conversational agents in
order to enrich and facilitate interactivity between human and
machine. While human emotions are often associated with surges in
hormones and other neuropeptides, emotions in machines might be
associated with abstract states associated with progress (or lack of
progress) in autonomous learning systems .In this view, affective
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5. P. R. Patil college of Management, Amravati.
emotional states correspond to time-derivatives (perturbations) in the
learning curve of an arbitrary learning system.
3.4Physiological monitoring
This could be used to detect a user’s emotional state by monitoring
and analysing their physiological signs. These signs range from their
pulse and heart rate, to the minute contractions of the facial muscles.
This area of research is still in relative infancy as there seems to be
more of a drive towards affect recognition through facial inputs.
Nevertheless, this area is gaining momentum and we are now seeing
real products which implement the techniques. The three main
physiological signs that can be analysed are: bood volume
pulse,galvanic skin Responcse, facial Electromyography.
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6. P. R. Patil college of Management, Amravati.
3.5Wearable computer
Wearable computers are miniature electronic devices that are worn
by the bearer under, with or on top of clothing. This class of
wearable technology has been developed for general or special
purpose information technologies and media development. Wearable
computers are especially useful for applications that require more
complex computational support than just hardware coded logics.
One of the main features of a wearable computer is consistency.
There is a constant interaction between the computer and user, i.e.
there is no need to turn the device on or off. Another feature is the
ability to multi-task. It is not necessary to stop what you are doing to
use the device; it is augmented into all other actions. It can therefore
be an extension of the user’s mind and/or body.
The developments of wearable computing now encompasses
Rehabilitation Engineering, Ambulatory intervention treatment, life
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guard systems, Defense wearable systems, and Event based
wearable
3.6 Educational technology
Education technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating
learning and improving performance by creating, using and
managing appropriate technological processes and resources.
Technology of education is most simply and comfortably defined as
an array of tools that might prove helpful in advancing student
learning and may be measured in how and why individuals behave.
Educational technology is intended to improve education over what it
would be without technology. Some of the claimed benefits are listed
below:
Easy-to-access course materials. Instructors can post the
course material or important information on a course website,
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which means students can study at a time and location they
prefer and can obtain the study material very quickly.]
Student motivation. Computer-based instruction can give
instant feedback to students and explain correct answers.
Moreover, a computer is patient and non-judgmental, which
can give the student motivation to continue learning.
Wide participation. Learning material can be used for long
distance learning and are accessible to a wider audience
Improved student writing. It is convenient for students to edit
their written work on word processors, which can, in turn,
improve the quality of their writing. According to some studies,
the students are better at critiquing and editing written work
that is exchanged over a computer network with students they
know
Subjects made easier to learn. Many different types of
educational software are designed and developed to help
children or teenagers to learn specific subjects. Examples
include pre-school software, computer simulators, and graphics
software
Differentiated Instruction. Educational technology provides
the means to focus on active student participation and to
present differentiated questioning strategies. It broadens
individualized instruction and promotes the development of
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personalized learning plans. Students are encouraged to use
multimedia components and to incorporate the knowledge they
gained in creative ways.
3.7 Potential applications
IN e-learning applications, affective computing can be used to adjust
the presentation style of a computerized tutor when a learner is
bored, interested, frustrated, or pleased. Psychological health
services, benefit from affective computing applications when
determining a client's emotional state . Affective computing sends a
message via color or sound to express an emotional state to others.
Robotic system capable of processing affective information exhibit
higher flexibility while one works in uncertain or complex
environments..Affective computing is also being applied to the
development of communicative technologies for use by people with
autism.
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