BioCrystal: An Ambient Tool for Emotion and Communication Asta Roseway1; Yuliya Lutchyn1; Paul Johns1; Elizabeth Mynatt2; Mary Czerwinski1 1Microsoft Research, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, USA; 2Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA {astar, v-yulutc, PaulJohns}@microsoft.com,
[email protected],
[email protected] ABSTRACT In this paper we present the BioCrystal – a biofeedback device that uses physiological data to evaluate user’s affective states in real-time and signals the states via an ambient display. We evaluated the BioCrystal during a 2- week, in situ multi-method study during which ten users collected over 115 hours of usable data. Users’ comments suggested high utility of such a biofeedback device for self-awareness, stress-management and interpersonal communication. Quantitative data confirmed that the BioCrystal met the criteria of an ambient display, and significantly improved users’ ability to control their stress. We discuss practical applications and suggest directions for future development. Keywords Moods, Emotions, Ambient Display, Biofeedback, Affective Computing, Workplace Communication, Field Study. INTRODUCTION Emotions are a critical part of human experience, and have a significant impact on all stages of human perception, cognition, and behavior. Emotions directly influence how we perform everyday tasks, interact with each other, learn, work, and even make important decisions (Loewenstein & Lerner, 2003). Emotions, especially negative ones, also affect our physical and mental well-being. With rapidly evolving methods for measuring affective states, it is not surprising that understanding, communicating, and even manipulating emotions are now among the central research topics in the domain of human-computer interaction. Our study is an attempt to contribute to this growing body of research by designing a novel, personal technology that would monitor and signal users’ affective states, enable them to selectively communicate this information to others, and, hopefully, help to manage their affect.