Unmet Need
Intelligent personal assistants (IPAs) – like Alexa, Cortana, Siri, Bixby, or Google Assistant – represent an emerging method by which customers can interact with technology in a more natural, conversational manner. IPAs that fail to adapt to the cognitive or emotional states of their users – for example, overloading users with information or violating social norms – can result in frustration and task abandonment. The adoption and adherence rates of IPA-enabled devices might be greatly improved by in-built mechanisms that are able to adapt to the cognitive or emotional states of its users in real-world scenarios.
Technology Overview
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a method that leverages eye-based data to accurately and unobtrusively infer a user’s cognitive stress in a variety of environmental conditions. Non-intrusive cognitive stress evaluation has a wide variety of potential applications, including more natural user-IPA interactions.
Stage of Development
A preliminary prototype based on a commercial research grade head-mounted device is available. User studies are underway, with the intention to iteratively test & refine the technology.
