Researchers have developed a new way to recognize human emotions by combining fiber-based physiological signals with thermal images of the face. The portable emotional recognition system could eventually be used to support at-home mental health monitoring, improve driver safety and make technology more responsive to human emotions.

“Unlike many existing approaches, our method does not rely on facial expressions, which can be consciously controlled or exaggerated,” said research team leader Rui Min from Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai (BNU Zhuhai) in China.

“Instead, it focuses on natural bodily responses that occur automatically. By combining multiple types of optical sensing and higher-level physiological interpretation, our system can more accurately capture emotion than those using a single type of input.”