CHILLER: A Computer Human Interface for the Live Labeling of Emotional Responses

The CHILLER (a Computer-Human Interface for the Live Labeling of Emotional Responses) is a prototype of an affordable and easy-to-use wearable sensor for the realtime detection and visualization of one of the most accurate biomarkers of musical emotional processing: The piloerection of the skin (i.e., the goosebumps) that accompany musical chills (also known as musical frissons or shivers down the spine). In controlled laboratory experiments, electrodermal activity (EDA) has been traditionally used to measure fluctuations of musical emotion. EDA is, however, illsuited for real-world settings (e.g., live concerts) because of its sensitivity to movement, electronic noise and variations in the contact between the skin and the recording electrodes. The CHILLER, based on the Raspberry Pi architecture, overcomes these limitations by using a well-known algorithm capable of detecting goosebumps from a video recording of a patch of skin. The CHILLER has potential applications in both academia and industry and could be used as a tool to broaden participation in STEM, as it brings together concepts from experimental psychology, neuroscience, physiology and computer science in an inexpensive, do-it-yourself device well-suited for educational purposes.