Date of Award

12-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Computer Engineering and Sciences

First Advisor

Dr. Thomas C. Eskridge

Second Advisor

Dr. Jignya Patel

Third Advisor

Dr. Sneha Sudhakaran

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Troy R. Weekes

Abstract

TAC-IT affective computing user-interface design is an independent computer peripheral that is a tool to be utilized to obtain a user’s self-reported emotional state in real-time. Doctor Rosalind Picard first coined and used the term affective computing in her paper Affective Computing [Picard, R. (1995)]. Affective Computing is defined as the study and development of systems and devices that can recognize, interpret, process, and simulate human affects. It is an interdisciplinary field spanning computer science, psychology, and cognitive science. Since that time, areas of research have expanded exponentially, and areas of interest include how to trigger emotions in a test subject, wearable biofeedback device design, and emotionally aware computer systems. The list continues and the field of research is a wide-open path to explore, for the purposes of this research the focus is primarily going to be on a combination of components, and these include, (Self-reported mental state versus biofeedback data, direct biofeedback data from users, affective computing, ambient interfaces, and tangible interfaces.) According to an Asurion study, 80 Percent of Americans experience some form of tech-related frustration per day (Asurion study to site). The number goes up to 5 events per day in at least 53 percent of Americans, and some in this study have experienced up to 40 tech-related frustration events per day. The solution will ultimately not be fixed by the software or computer hardware, and instead, the focus will be on aiding the end user’s experience with the usage of an external device for the user to selfreport their emotional states. This thesis explores and examines the relationship a user may experience when interacting with an external device in tandem with their current work setup. The external device’s primary purpose is to provide an outlet for the user to self-report the user’s real-time emotional state.

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