Detect bored students with identification technology

The dullness of the students at the end of the lecture hall may soon be a thing of the past, as teachers now have a tool to help them find bored people.

A Chinese university lecturer is using facial recognition technology with his students to see if they are upset during class time. He says this approach can be broader in education.

The "facial reading" device creates excitement graphs for each student. (Photo: People's Daily)

Wei Xiaoyong, a lecturer in computer science at Sichuan University, China has developed a "facial reading" device to recognize students' emotions. This device creates a graph for each student, showing whether they are happy or bored.

He explains, "By linking this type of information with teaching, and using a chronological chart, we know when we are really drawing the attention of our students. So, we can deduce whether it is the optimal way to teach that particular content or whether it is appropriate content to teach the students in the classroom. "

Xiaoyong started using facial imaging technology five years ago to examine student attendance, hoping to create a "less boring and time consuming" method. According to this lecturer, technology can be applied to a wide range of social sciences, work related to psychology as well as education.

Teacher Xiaoyong claims face recognition technology can be applied in many different areas. (Photo: People's Daily)

This is not the first time technology has been used to test the level of boredom of particular subjects. Body language experts detect that a person's level of excitement can be determined through "microscopic movements , " such as dull or restless legs. The more people are attracted to what appears on the computer screen, the less they move.

Researchers use cameras and an algorithm to detect the user's frustration. They claim, one day, the computers themselves can monitor our level of excitement.