A software that can detect the pain on the faces of sick – Clubic

Use software to measure pain on the face of a suffering person may soon be possible, thanks to an algorithm developed by a group of American researchers.

Researchers at the UC San Diego have designed an algorithm which, combined with a camera, is capable of evaluating the level of pain felt by a patient based on the facial expressions. “ Facial expressions are sensitive biomarkers, capable of testifying to the presence and severity of pain. Computer vision and machine learning are sufficiently reliable to measure facial expressions through the video “the study says.

The algorithm is
thus able to record and learn from the facial expressions of a patient, to interpret a case by case different pain thresholds. The study was conducted over 50 videos of young pediatric patients, aged 5 to 18 years, while they were waiting for an operation for appendicitis. Comparing the results of the software to comments usually conducted by medical staff and parents, the researchers obtained similar findings, demonstrating the effectiveness of their system.

Scientists believe that such a system could help monitor Real-time pain in patients, in addition to other measurements in hospitals. The medical robot Baymax film The New Heroes is not far from becoming reality!