Bottom line: As smart eyewear technology evolves, glasses capable of sensing emotions could pave the way for more data-driven approaches in health, wellness, and human-computer interaction. However, it is crucial to address privacy concerns before these devices become widely adopted.
Emteq Labs has revealed the creation of Sense, claimed to be the world’s first emotion-sensing smart glasses.
Sense glasses feature technology distinguishing them from traditional smart eyewear, primarily Emteq’s patented OCO sensors, offering detailed three-dimensional mapping of facial skin movements.
The glasses also have a 9-axis inertial measurement unit and an altimeter for behavioral analysis. A downward-facing camera records food intake, while proprietary AI/ML algorithms process the gathered data, which is then sent to a companion application and cloud platform.
The glasses monitor various metrics, such as facial expressions, eating behaviors, mood, posture, attention levels, and physical activity.
Led by surgeon and facial musculature expert Dr. Charles Nduka, the company has dedicated over a decade to developing advanced technologies for detecting facial movements and emotions. Such data has previously been confined to labs, healthcare facilities, or controlled environments.
“Since founding Emteq Labs in 2015, we have aimed to enhance lives and health outcomes by gaining a deeper understanding of our emotional responses and behaviors,” Nduka stated.
Emteq Labs sees two main uses for Sense glasses. The first is mental health monitoring, as the technology can differentiate between depressed and non-depressed individuals. The second is dietary management, where Sense glasses can recognize chewing patterns and track food intake to help prevent overeating.
Nonetheless, the glasses could benefit numerous fields. Their ability to assess real-time emotional responses makes them valuable in consumer research and augmented reality applications.
Emteq Labs is directed by Steen Strand, who, prior to joining Emteq, led Snap’s hardware division, SnapLab, responsible for the Spectacles line of augmented reality eyewear, along with other hardware-related initiatives. “Emteq’s technology will transform our self-understanding and create compelling cases that will soon drive AR eyewear adoption,” Strand remarked.
Privacy concerns are anticipated upon the glasses’ eventual release, although no launch date is set. Emteq Labs assures that users have complete control over their data, with the option to share it with healthcare professionals or researchers.
Experts warn of potential misuse, particularly where governments might use such data for surveillance or to oppress particular communities. Some believe it could be problematic.
“Where do we go from here?” Avijit Ghosh, an applied policy researcher at AI company Hugging Face, expressed to Wired. “Mainstreaming emotion detection without addressing pitfalls and removing human agency, promoting a standard idea of emotions, seems like a path to disaster.”
Meanwhile, Emteq Labs confronts competition from tech giants like Meta and Apple, also creating smart glasses with diverse features. To stay competitive, Emteq might need to offer features beyond emotion detection.
The company plans to release a development kit for commercial collaborators in December, opening up opportunities for various industry applications.
