KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
They are trying to devise a way where computers could monitor a person's emotions. The concept is called machine learning technology, and the idea is that a computer can recognize the content of images, interpreting the content to such a level that it may be able to actually gain a sense of emotions.
The computer that they developed in their study can actually monitor happiness, sadness and anxiety. The problem right now is that it's very early in the process and the computer reacts to smiles and facial changes but does not respond to subtle things such as a different look in the eyes.
In other words, the computer is a long way from prime time.