This project will develop a cost-effetive, image analysis system to perform a comprehensive set of measurements of the human face from videotaped images. The system will facilitate the study of emotion and other psyhological processes that require objective measures of facial expression. A complete system will consist of consumer-grade video recording equipment, personal computer equipment, and easy-to-use software. Included in the final system will be eye, eyebrow, nose, mouth, and chin position and movement measures, and the system ultimately could include skin color and hue, temperature, and pulse wave amplitude and frequency. The principal advantages of this product will be:(1) provision for assessing a comprehensive range of facial activity that is currently unavailable or too expensive to evaluate;(2) an ability to record nonintrusively a full range of measures in natural settings;(3) flexibility in allowing the researcher to adapt system output to his or her research interests and to create new measures;(4) standardization of measures; and(5) low cost. The techniques for feature location and measurement developed during Phase I will be improved, and new ones will be developed and implemented. Its performance will be evaluated to demonstrate that the system measurements are accurate.Awardee's statement of the potential commercial applications of the research:The project will develop a simple, low-cost system for automated effective facial measurements in research laboratories. It will be sold primarily to researchers in social and clinial psychology, psychiatry, sociology and anthropology. The system will greatly reduce measurement costs in current research and facilitate research not possible with existing methods.National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
