Google Glass can tell if you're stressed out

Google Glass can tell if you're stressed out

Jon Fingas

Engadget

It's not always easy to tell when your stress levels are through the roof, and you may not always want to break out a heart rate sensor just to find out when it's time to relax. You might not have to, if researchers at Georgia Tech and MIT have their way; they've developed BioGlass, an Android app that uses Google Glass to determine how frazzled you are. The software measures your heart and breathing rates by checking for tiny movements picked up by Glass' accelerometer, gyroscope and front-facing camera. In theory, you'd only have to wear the smart eyepiece to know when it's time to calm down.

The existing project doesn't do more than record data, but future software could do a lot more. You could get instructions on stress-relieving breathing exercises, for example, or even queue up soothing songs at the very moment you need them. Glass also isn't strictly necessary, if you'd rather not wear a $1,500 headset that occasionally causes stress. Any wearable with the right sensors would do the trick. The biggest challenge is getting an accurate reading while you're moving. BioGlass currently requires that you stand still, but the hope is that it will eventually warn you when you're literally hopping mad. If all goes well, you may always know when it's time to chill out -- and hopefully avoid a ton of health problems.