Introducing the EmteqVR Interface for Affect Detection in Virtual Reality

Abstract

This paper introduces the wearable technology EmteqVR ™ which can detect facial expressions and physiological responses from the user's facial area whilst the user is wearing a commercial Virtual Reality head mounted display (HMD). This EmteqVR interface, an evolution of the earlier prototype called “Faceteq”, comprises nine biometric sensors including f-EMG, PPG and IMU, enabling it to detect the affective state of the user in real time. This newly developed technology can revolutionize the way we collect data, design experiences and interact within Virtual, Mixed and Augmented Realities. In addition, this novel approach could assist in healthcare interventions and future experimental studies. Our team developed a Virtual Reality experience specifically designed to induce various emotional responses to users. We will demonstrate how the current interface and a custom expression detection algorithm are used in real-time to provide feedback on the user's affective state within Virtual Reality.