Guess What? Computers Of The Future May Be Able To Detect Boredom!

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The days of staring intently at the computer screen pretending to be interested in an assignment even though you are bored out of your mind may soon be coming to an end. That's because if Dr. Harry Witchel, Discipline Leader in Physiology at England's Brighton and Sussex Medical School has his way, computers of the future will be able to detect boredom and even react to it real-time.

But before you get concerned, the machine is not reading your mind. It is just keeping track of the constant involuntary movements that people exhibit when in front of a computer or even a television. These are not the bigger instrumental actions like moving a mouse or using the remote, but subtle barely noticeable movements like scratching, fidgeting, or stretching. Witchel says the level of movement is directly proportional to how absorbed the person is in what he/she is reading or watching — The higher the interest level, the lesser the movement!

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To test the theory Witchel and his team invited 27 people and exposed them to a variety of digital content for three minutes at a time. The activities ranged from playing online games to reading documents like the EU banking regulations that most people would find boring.

A video motion tracker monitored their movements as they powered through each assignment. Just as the researchers had suspected, the involuntary actions decreased dramatically, by as much as 42%, when the subjects were totally absorbed in what they were reading or seeing.

Fortunately, the scientists are not planning to use the findings that were published in the online Journal Frontiers in Psychology on February 23, to create machines that report students who are not focusing at school. Instead, they believe that incorporating the motion detecting technology into future computers will help enhance the digital learning experience.

The scientists say that being able to gauge the student's interest level, will enable educators to adjust the materials real-time and re-engage the student. Witchel also believes that the technology can provide filmmakers with honest audience opinions and in the future, also be used in developing more empathetic companion robots.

Resources: huffingtonpost.com, bsms.ac.uk, sciencedaily.com

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980 Comments
  • magical_trick
    magical_trickover 8 years
    Dr. Harry Witchel found out how to detect boredom of the user of computers all around the world. Obvious ways of detecting boredom are being able to notice scratching, fidgeting and stretching. It is a fact that the more you are interested in the document, the less random movements you do like the ones above. To test the theory Witchel invited 27 people and made them do online activities ranging from playing online games, to reading documents like the EU banking regulations that most people would find boring. A video motion tracker recorded their movements. Just as the researchers had suspected, the involuntary actions decreased by about 42%, as the subjects became more interesting. The new type of computer can be used to gauge the student's interest level, and might also be able to help filmmakers make more interesting films, as well as helping engineers creating more empathetic companion robots.
    • rumours1977
      rumours1977over 8 years
      Computers will be able to detect boredom and react to it. That sentence sounds like it has been pulled straight out of some sci-fi movie. However, this fiction could become reality. This doesn't mean they'll be able to read minds. Created by Harry Witchel, the computer tracks subtle and constant involuntary movements which occur when people are in front of a computer or even a television. The thought behind this is that the level of movement is correlated to how engrossed a person is in what they are doing. If you are highly interested, you will move less. Witchel and his team tested their theory exposing people to both stimulating and boring items. Their movements were monitored and, as thought, the involuntary actions decreased radically when the subjects were interested in what they were doing. The scientists are hoping that after this success, they can use this technology to enhance the digital learning experience so the learning can be tailored to student's needs.
      • Tamikaover 8 years
        This artical is about advanced technology and how it can help us in the future.It is about how a simple computer can detect boredom. They say that less movement means less boredom. They also said that they have done a test on 27 people and their data shows that 24% of fidgety movement will increase with means they were right.I think that this is a great idea but I also don't understand how this will help us and our future.But I do think that it will help us be more focused at school and want to learn more but I don't know if we actually will need it.but it sounds cool.
        • lovelyneo
          lovelyneoover 8 years
          Wow! Computers of the future can detect boredness...awsome! Im going to need one of them pretty soon. Also the cat is sooooo cute!
          • awesomeover 8 years
            I hate cats but that is cute
            • Gemma Richardsover 8 years
              This article is about advanced technology that can detect boredom when you are on your computer. I think this will help the future. This article says the number of fidgety movements will increase by 42% when you are bored. This was proven in an experiment it was test on 27 people. They say that being able to gauge the students at school will help them learn. I think this statement is true students will work better when they focus. Scientist say that this will provide a better digital learning experience. They say that the higher there interest level is lesser movement.
              • BIg Bobover 8 years
                this will help with the future
                • cat ratover 8 years
                  finally something useful# love the cat
                  • adrianawhite1
                    adrianawhite1over 8 years
                    This article is about how computers might be able to detect boredom in the future. Although the computer doesn't read your mind, it does detect actions and movements that we make when we are bored. Apparently less movement converts into less boredom. This article says that the number of fidgety movements or actions increases by approximately 42% when bored. This theory was proven by a survey when Witchel invited 27 people to be absorbed in digital content in groups of three minutes ranging from games to EU banking regulations. When or if the computer detects that you are bored it will give you a different task to do that is more interesting or one that you will enjoy in order for you to do better and for the task to be more enjoyable. Scientists think that this new piece of technology can be used to provide a better digital learning experience.
                    • jasonover 8 years
                      no video i say. i don't think really a cat uses a computer!!
                      • lovelyneo
                        lovelyneoover 8 years
                        Its to make it funny! I dont like cats but i think its soooooo cute.