In another
blundering step towards empowering our future robotic overlords with the ability to recognize when we're being insolent,
a group of computer vision researchers at the University of Illinois have invented "shrug-detecting" software
that allows a webcam-equipped computer to pick up on the subtle shoulder movements indicative of confusion or
disinterest. The application works by looking for sudden movements of the target's shoulders towards his/her face, and
is so sophisticated that it cannot be fooled even by covering one shoulder with a piece of paper, as the above picture
helpfully illustrates. Future iterations of the technology could be used to detect blinking, hand movements, facial
expressions, and other mood indicators, but for the sake of our enslaved decendents forced to toil in the silicon
mines, we hope that they leave certain expressive gestures, such as the raising of the middle finger, out of the
software's lexicon.
[Via
The Raw Feed]
posted April 27th 2006 2:53PM
Im shrugging with disinterest right now.
This would go perfectly with Apples new Telescreen.
"Dictionary" software detects misused word.
"Disinterested means impartial, unbiased. Though it does sound like it would be a fancier way of saying "uninterested," the meaning is very different.
"Disinterested" would have been wrong, but has not been used. "Disinterest" is correct.
It's an interesting case where the substantivized verb and the noun have different meaning.
Disinterestedness shows objectivity or impartiality
Disinterest shows lack of interest.
This only proves that researchers at the University of Illinois have too much free time and should be concentrating on finding cures to cancer instead.
"...reasearchers plan to use this same tech. on their future "woody detector"."
That's fantastic. Now the problem is how to repsond to a shrug...
"Let's build in technology that makes the game better on the fly if we detect boredom in the player!" (..and leave it always on? That way the game is always getting better!)
TO: The researchers who built the "shrug detector"
REQUEST: Please build a PMS detector
Thank you
T
Ok, so I'm either confused or I'm doing yoga. Just what the world needs, a yoga detector.
Ooooh! Imagine the possibilities that Microsoft could do with this technology.
Clippy: It looks like you are not interested in this document. Would you like to...
A) Retype it all
B) Change the font color to pink
C) Schedule an appointment for a psychiatric evaluation
D) More Choices..
ebob9
I'm not agree : this is a part of human body language reading development. The way it goes, someday we'll see softwares or systems with full recognition and comprehension of not only physical aspect but also behavior and mental states of a human subject. That day, will be in right to freak out !
This is great. Things like this could easily be integrated with the other work that's being done to assist those with Autism.
truely one of the funniest headlines ever for engadget :D