The emergence of physiological computing

摘要

Physiological computing is emerging as a vital paradigm for the next generation of human computer interaction. Technologies for augmenting human ability are beginning to intimately interpret the personal elements and processes of the human body and brain. Through the acquisition and processing of biological, cognitive, and environmental signals and the development of sophisticated models of context, new interaction scenarios are now becoming possible. Researchers and practitioners are taking dramatic steps beyond ubiquitous, pervasive, and traditional wearable computing, to realize physiological computing that augments and transforms fundamental human capabilities. Ultimately these applications and agendas have the potential to impact and redefine the biological and cognitive systems of our species. Research efforts range from the development of sensors that are accepted, integrated, and in some cases even implanted into user's lives, for the acquisition of physiological signals and stimulation of physiological processes, to the interpretation of meaning from physiological signals, informed by the medical sciences. Efforts extend onward to the application of computational modeling and integration of feedback, producing interactions that empower users to gain new perspectives and alter behaviors. Recently developed applications are already yielding new understandings of user experience; others are altering the nature of the biomedical industries through adaptive medication, home-based telemedicine and self-awareness of physiological processes such as the balance of caloric intake and energy expenditure.