Design and Development of a Smart Fashion Accessory Communicating Positive Facial Expressions Hidden by Face Masks

• Published in: International Journal of Affective Engineering Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 35 - 46
• Main Authors: ISHIUCHI, Junko, KAI, Sakiho, MURASE, Hiroki, MASUDA, Osamu, FURUKAWA, Takao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Japan Society of Kansei Engineering 01.01.2023; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Electromyography; EMG measurement; Emission analysis; Emotions; Facial expression; Light emitting diodes; Psychological effects; Smart fashion accessory; Social factors
• ISSN: 2187-5413; 2187-5413
• DOI: 10.5057/ijae.IJAE-D-21-00023

Face masks interfere with social interactions, as they cover facial expressions that communicate personality, intentions, and emotions, and consequently impede smooth communication. This study designed and implemented a smart fashion accessory that communicates positive emotions to others, even when wearing a face mask, and evaluated its psychological effects. The design of the smart fashion accessory integrates headbands, earrings, and chokers. The electromyography (EMG) of the facial muscles was measured to identify positive facial expressions hidden by the mask. The integrated smart fashion accessory controls the red-green-blue (RGB) light-emitting diode (LED) emission pattern built into the earrings according to the facial expression recognized by the EMG. Hue rotation and white blink were set as RGB LED emission patterns, and their psychological effects were evaluated in the experiment. The result confirmed that “active,” “enthusiastic,” and “excited” expressions hidden by the mask were transmitted by the integrated smart fashion accessory.