Devices That Know How We Really Feel

Admit it: Sometimes you just want to punch your PC, or slap your smartphone, or knock your notebook. We all get riled by technology once in a while, with all those feeble batteries, endless updates and spinning wheels of death. But what if our devices could see it coming?

What if they could pick up the tics and tells of our brewing anger -- or, for that matter, any other emotion -- and respond accordingly?

It’s not as crazy as it sounds. To hear experts tell it, this is where technology is going.

Researchers and companies are already starting to employ sensors that try to read and respond to our feelings. While this sort of technology is still in its early days, the possibilities seem many.

One day, your PC might sense your frustration when a program keeps crashing and politely suggest that you take a walk while it contacts tech support. Or your smartphone could sense that passions -- of one sort or another -- are running high and, in response, disable messaging. Or your car might discern an early case of road rage and soften the car’s lighting and stiffen its steering. A new generation of sensors can judge emotion through people’s skin and breath.