Kinect: Mind-Reader?

March 22, 2012 in Daily Bulletin

In an article that raises privacy concerns about video game consoles that gather data about human movements, what really stands out is Jeremy Bailenson discussion of some of the things that the Kinect is capable of determining about you:

  • Based on about ten behavioural cues during a period of learning, it is possible to predict how well students will do on a test of the material that they learnt. The cues include shoulder and elbow movements.
  • The Kinect can detect with ~84% accuracy what behavior you’re engaging in – whether its brushing your teeth of cooking a meal.
  • The Kinect might also be able to detect a pre-accident face – your facial expression before you engage in risky driving behavior. Car manufacturers might be able to use this to tighten your seatbelt or ‘prime’ the airbags because of the higher likelihood of an accident.

To read the privacy concerns this raises, what this means for insurance companies, and details of the studies outlined above, click here.

Source: Slate