New software may let cars sense your mood
Toyota is apparently working with a Scottish company called Affective Media to develop mood-sensing software for cars. Using voice-recognition technology, the software would be able to handle basic chores like programming your audio system based on your mood, as well as more serious tasks like trying to calm you down if you're angry (based on the theory that angry drivers cause more accidents). We can see some obvious dangers to relying on such software to make decisions about road-worthiness; for example, a slightly drunk driver might sound mellow enough to pass the mood test, but could be impaired enough to pose a serious risk. Meanwhile, Affective Media also plans to pitch its system to call centers, allowing them to monitor the mood of callers. They shouldn't bother; call centers don't need software for that. After 20 minutes on hold, chances are your mood is pretty obvious.
[Via Roland Piquepaille's Technology Trends]
