A London exhibit at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition will feature a computer system that is "emotionally aware" and is able to read human facial expressions.  The computer, developed by researchers from the Royal Society, is able to track 24 facial points.  Twenty facial movements -- head nods and eyebrow movements included -- are already identifiable.  The computer will analyze facial expressions to try and read the user's thoughts.

The system has already progressed to the point where it is able to deal with the variation and differences in the size and shape of people's faces.  Actors are being used to try and further enhance the capabilities of the computer system by making different facial expressions.  The exhibit will offer another opportunity for the research teams to gather additional facial expressions. 

There are a number of possible uses for "emotionally aware" computer systems -- Medical research, driving skill improvement, aiding people with autism and advertisement design are some of the examples of potential uses for the technology.  For example, with help from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a wearable version of the system is being developed for medical research purposes.  The headset is designed to notice other people's moods and then transmit the information to the wearer.