Camera System Allows Visually Impaired to "See" Emotions via Vibrations

Researchers at Umeå University in Sweden have created a Web camera system that codifies emotions by vibrations to allow visually impaired people to "see" -- more like, literally feel -- emotions.

Visual information is relayed through a tactile display as a series of vibrations during a conversation. As the subject's face naturally expresses emotions -- happiness, sadness, anger -- the visually impaired person can infer the changing emotional status through tactile sensation delivered by a forearm sleeve.

The visually impaired person can learn how to interpret the vibrations by using the system on his or herself by making expressive faces and feeling what tactile sensations are produced.