Towards next-generation context-aware affective human-machine interfaces

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Until recently, the ubiquitous way of interacting with digital information was via a keyboard and mouse. As mobile devices gained popularity, however, touch became the primary input modality for human-machine interfaces (HMIs), followed closely by voice. The next decade, however, will witness tremendous growth in data generation (e.g., statistics suggest a 50-fold increase in our digital footprint by 2020). New sensors and technologies will emerge and will be embedded in everyday objects, creating the so-called Internet-of-Things revolution. This data deluge will require drastic innovations in human-machine interaction, particularly as the boundaries between humans and machines, as well as machines and the environment become blurred. To achieve this ambitious goal, the proposed research program aims at developing technologies that will enhance machine intelligence by making them not only aware of their surroundings, but also of their users’ affective/cognitive states. Such context-aware affective HMIs will revolutionize several key sectors of the Canadian economy, including healthcare, entertainment, education, and telecommunications.