A Unique Type of Experience
Neuroscientists at University College London have used EmotiBit to look at how collective experiences affect our reactions in an audience—and soon, how we can predict those reactions.
Crowded movie theaters, candlelight concerts, and rowdy sporting events can all be collective experiences. When someone enjoys being in the crowd or part of a group of people more than, say, watching a recording after, they likely appreciate how being part of a group—or collective—can change or add to the experience of an activity.
But how does being part of a collective experience affect the bodies and minds of the people taking part in it, and why?
How It Works
The collective experiences that UCL Neuroscientists Joseph Devlin and Daniel Richardson study have ranged from viewing Aladdin’s first kiss to fierce soccer rivalries.
To analyze how people are feeling during the experience, the neuroscientists are using biometric data at the level of entire audiences. Meaning, large groups of people each wear their own EmotiBit during an event. Next, the EmotiBit records data from PPG, EDA (aka GSR), IMU, and temperature sensors.
After that, the data can be used to provide insight into emotions, accurate heart rate readings, and more. With that insight, they can work to identify everything from when a single person is bored, but also when everyone in the room is excited and mentally on their feet.
Predicting Millions of Reactions
In their most recent project, Neurovision, they’ve taken the work a step farther. What if you could go beyond understanding why audiences react a certain way? What if you could predict how millions of people will react? With EmotiBit, the UCL Neuroscientists are empowered to ask these questions and gather data to find answers.
They’ve done it before by predicting which movies will be a box office success, and now they’re doing it again to predict which idol will win the Eurovision Song Contest. Place your bets!