An expert system for multiple emotional classification of facial expressions

Abstract

This paper discusses the Integrated System for Facial Expression Recognition (ISFER), which performs facial expression analysis from a still dual facial view image. The system consists of three major parts: a facial data generator, a facial data evaluator and a facial data analyser. While the facial data generator applies fairly conventional techniques for facial feature extraction, the rest of the system represents a novel way of performing a reliable identification of 30 different face actions and a multiple classification of expressions into the six basic emotion categories. An expert system has been utilised to convert low level face geometry into high level face actions, and then this into highest level weighted emotion labels. The system evaluation results demonstrated rather high concurrent validity with human coding of facial expressions using FACS and formal instructions in emotion signals.