A research team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research in Germany developed a sensor glove that is supposed to help companies evaluate the quality of software applications.

Bodo Urban, the head of the 25 researchers involved in the project, says his basic goal is to improve the relation between man and machine with the so-called EmoGlove. The technology helps to track all movements of the mouse and all keystrokes on the keyboard of a PC. It’s also possible to track eye movements and a person’s facial expressions.

The EmoGlove is also able to measure one’s heart rate, skin resistance and body temperature. Based on this information, the system continously registers a subject’s emotional attitude towards the software application tested. This way, software companies (i.e. game developers) can register if their product is boring, too hard to use or badly designed.

The researchers say the EmoGlove technology still has difficulties registering weaker emotional reactions, for example boredom. Future version of the glove are planned to actively give feedback to the users, i.e. in the form of messages such as “Focus, please!”.

Via Heise [GER]