Measurement of distal EMG signals using a wearable device for reading facial expressions

In this paper we present a quantitative analysis of electrode positions on the side of the face for facial expression recognition using facial bioelectrical signals. We show that distal electrode locations on areas of low facial mobility have a strong amplitude and are correlated to signals captured in the traditional positions on top of the facial muscles. We report on electrode position choice as well successful facial expression identification using computational methods. We also propose a wearable interface device that can detect facial bioelectrical signals distally in a continuous manner while being unobtrusive to the user. The proposed device can be worn on the side of the face and capture signals that are considered to be a mixture of facial electromyographic signals and other bioelectrical signals. Finally we show the design of an interface that can be comfortably worn by the user and makes facial expression recognition possible.