Using brain waves and electromyogram
Application to contactless mental illness treatment and scientific investigation

Im Chang-hwan, a professor of Hanyang University Department of Biomedical Engineering, and his research team developed a machine learning technology that precisely reads hidden emotions behind people's micro-expressions using brain waves and electromyogram (EMG), according to Hanyang University on October 26. This technology is expected to be applied to scientific investigations and contactless mental illness treatment.

Micro-expression is a person's emotion that they try to hide but is shown for a very short time. As micro-expressions are minute facial expression changes unconsciously shown from people trying to restrain emotional expression, it is hard to notice even for a very observant person.

When treating patients with depression or bipolar disorders, health professionals can find out the hidden and real emotions from micro-expressions and thus more effectively cure the illnesses. Also, as it can be used as a new method of scientific investment, much research has been carried out globally. 

However, as previous methods used a camera to read micro-expressions, it was difficult to detect if the person was wearing masks or sunglasses or the front side of the face was not photographed. 

In particular, if people met in the metaverse environment, wearing VR headgears, micro-expression recognition was tricky because major parts of the face were covered.

Professor Im's research team succeeded in recognizing the hidden emotions with more than 90% accuracy by applying machine learning technologies to EMG signals (electric signal happening in the muscles) measured near the edge of eyes and brain waves measured from the head circumference. Professor Im's method has not only high precision in recognizing micro-expressions but also great practicality as it is not affected by the brightness of the light or head movements compared to those using cameras. 

Professor Im said that "The newly developed technology is expected to be widely applied in the digital healthcare field as patients' emotions can be tracked in real-time during untact treatment or while diagnosing diverse emotional disorders. We will conduct further research to measure biological signals more easily."

Professor Im team's research result was published in the prominent international academic journal Expert Systems With Applications on October 19. Professor Dan Zhang from China's Tsinghua University Department of Psychology and Dr. Kim Lae-hyun from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology participated in the research as co-authors. The research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea's intermediate researcher support project and the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation's artificial intelligence graduate school support project.

Professor Im Chang-hwan
Professor Im Chang-hwan
Locations of electrode attachments for brain waves and EMG measurement.
Locations of electrode attachments for brain waves and EMG measurement.

 

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