Using Intel’s Realsense Camera to Detect Emotion in Facial Expressions : A Validity Study

Abstract

Most researchers recognize six universal, basic human emotions: surprise, fear, disgust, anger, happiness and sadness (Busso et al., 2004). Researchers typically identify emotions through the coding of facial markers, speech (e.g., Busso et al., 2004), and physiological features (e.g., heart rate, skin resistance, blood pressure; e.g., Leon et al., 2007). However, these techniques require a substantial investment of time and effort. The current work examined the utility of Intel’s (2015) RealSense USB PC camera and accompanying software as a complement or replacement for these more intensive techniques. If the RealSense camera offers valid, reliable, and efficient ratings of participants’ facial expressions, current emotion research may be simplified and new research areas may more easily include emotional data.