A novel EDA glove based on textile-integrated electrodes for affective computing

• Published in: Medical & biological engineering & computing Vol. 50; no. 11; pp. 1163 - 1172
• Main Authors: Lanatà, Antonio, Valenza, Gaetano, Scilingo, Enzo Pasquale
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.11.2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Affect (Psychology); Algorithms; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biomedicine; Computer Applications; Electric Impedance; Electrodes; Emotions; Equipment Design; Galvanic Skin Response; Gloves; Human Physiology; Humans; Imaging; Medical technology; Nervous system; Physiology; Radiology; Sensors; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted - instrumentation; Special Issue - Original Article; Studies; Textiles; Young Adult; United States > US; Affective computing; Textile electrode; Electrodermal response; Biomedical signal processing
• ISSN: 0140-0118; 1741-0444; 1741-0444
• DOI: 10.1007/s11517-012-0921-9

This paper reports on performance evaluation of a preliminary system prototype based on a fabric glove, with integrated textile electrodes placed at the fingertips, able to acquire and process the electrodermal response (EDR) to discriminate affective states. First, textile electrodes have been characterized in terms of voltage–current characteristics and trans-surface electric impedance. Next, signal quality of EDR acquired simultaneously from textile and standard electrodes was comparatively evaluated. Finally, a dedicated experiment in which 35 subjects were enrolled, aiming at discriminating different affective states using only EDR was designed and realized. A new set of features extracted from non-linear methods were used, improving remarkably successful recognition rates. Results are, indeed, very satisfactory and promising in the field of affective computing.