MAS.630 Affective Computing Fall 2015

Room & Time:
E15-359
Tuesdays 10am-noon


Textbooks:
Picard, R.W. (2000). Affective Computing. The MIT Press.
Calvo, R.A., D'Mello, S.K., Gratch, J., and Kappas, A. (2015). The Oxford Handbook of Affective Computing. Oxford University Press.
Other readings will be handed out as needed.

Class Schedule (Subject to Change):
1. Tuesday Sep 15    Introduction to Affective Computing & The Challenge of Mood Measurement and Forecasting
2. Tuesday Sep 22    Affect Recognition, Part 1
3. Tuesday Sep 29    Students Present on 2-3 "Rough Project Ideas"
4. Tuesday Oct 6    Sensing Emotion Directly and Indirectly
Project Proposal Plan Due - Picard will plan to give you personalized feedback on your plan by Oct 14
(Tuesday Oct 13 - No Class - Monday Schedule of Classes at MIT)
5. Tuesday Oct 20    Affective Technology Interaction & Empathy
6. Tuesday Oct 27    State of the art facial expression recognition and what it tells us about emotion, Dr. Dan McDuff, Director of Research, Affectiva, and Research Affiliate MIT.
7. Tuesday Nov 3    Project Presentations: Background and Design
8. Tuesday Nov 10    Stress recognition and relief, Dr. Javier Hernandez
9. Tuesday Nov 17    Ethical issues related to affective computing.
10. Tuesday Nov 24    Grab bag of AC topics.
11. Tuesday Dec 1   Final Project Presentations & Discussion
12. Tuesday Dec 8   Final Project Presentations & Celebration


Sample Topics - Final topics will be selected with input from this year's class:
Emotionally Intelligent Human Computer Interaction
Emotion and Perception, Decision-making, and Creativity
Emotion and Learning
Physiology of Emotion
Neuroscience Findings Related to Emotion
Affect Recognition by Machines (incl. wearable systems)
Communicating Frustration/Stress in Autism and in Customer Experience
Responding to User Emotion to Reduce User Frustration
Inducing Emotion
Robots/Agents that "have" Emotion
Emotion and Behavior
Expression of Emotion by Machines/Agents/Synthetic characters
Philosophical, Social, Ethical Implications of Affective Computing
Machine/Mobile Empathy and Emotional Support
Lie Detection and Stress Detection


Evaluation:
20% Classroom participation
35% Weekly ssignments (reading/response)
45% Project and presentation


Project:
You will be required to complete a project for the course. Initial project ideas will be presented on Tues Sep 29 in class. By Oct 6, your project plan is due. Project progress presentations will occur on Tuesday Nov 3.
***Attendance on project proposal and final project presentation days is required***
Attendance counts substantially toward your class participation grade. You will learn A LOT from engaging with each others' projects so make sure to be in town!

2013 Project Examples, 2011 Project Examples, 2008 Project Examples, 2005 Project Examples.

COUHES for Class Projects:
All projects that involve research on human participants must have the prior approval of the MIT Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects (COUHES). If you can piggyback on a current COUHES protocol, that is fastest/easiest. If not, you need to MOVE FAST to submit a COUHES application because the fall COUHES meeting dates require applications to be in by either Sep 24 for approval by their meeting on Oct 15, or submitted by Oct 27 for their meeting on Nov 19. Moreover, the Media Lab (Linda Peterson, Mitch Resnick, or Pattie Maes) asks to have it a week earlier; they must sign off in advance before you can submit to COUHES. Also, before it can be approved you must pass your "CITI certification".
If you've never done a COUHES application, you should start this more than two weeks before the deadline. Please plan to meet w/Prof. Picard to brainstorm project ideas as soon as possible. Let's work together to help you have a positive experience and a successful project!