Body-worn sensors for remote implicit communication

Abstract

Although there has been a great deal of work on using machine learning algorithms to categorize user activity (e.g., walking, biking) from accelerometer and other sensor data, less attention has been focused on relaying such information in real-time for remote implicit communication. Humans are very familiar with using both explicit and implicit communication with others physically near to us, for example, by using body language and modulating our voice tone and volume. Likewise, remote explicit communication has also existed for a long time in the form of phone calls, text messages, and other mechanisms for communicating explicitly over great distances. However, remote implicit communication between mobile users has been less explored, likely since there have been limited avenues for collecting such information and rendering it in a meaningful way while we go about our daily lives.