DIRECTING LIVE ENTERTAINMENT USING BIOMETRIC SENSOR DATA FOR DETECTION OF NEUROLOGICAL STATE
Applications for a Content Engagement Power (CEP) value include directing live actors during a performance, for experience in a real or virtual theater. The CEP is computed based on biometric sensor data processed to express audience engagement with content along multiple dimensions such as valence, arousal, and dominance. An apparatus is configured to perform the method using hardware, firmware, and/or software.
1 . A method for signaling to live actors and controlling props and effects during a performance by live actors on a physical set, the method comprising:
receiving, by at least one computer processor, sensor data from at least one sensor positioned to sense an involuntary biometric response of one or more audience members experiencing a live performance by one or more actors;
determining, by the at least one computer processor based on the sensor data, a measure of neurological state of the one or more audience members;
generating, by the at least one computer processor based at least in part on comparing the measures with a targeted story arc, stage directions for the performance; and
signaling, by the at least one computer processor, the stage directions to the one or more actors during the live performance.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the measure of neurological state further comprises determining arousal values based on the sensor data and comparing a stimulation average arousal based on the sensor data with an expectation average arousal.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the sensor data comprises one or more of electroencephalographic (EEG) data, galvanic skin response (GSR) data, facial electromyography (fEMG) data, electrocardiogram (EKG) data, video facial action unit (FAU) data, brain machine interface (BMI) data, video pulse detection (VPD) data, pupil dilation data, functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) data, and functional near-infrared data (fNIR).
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the measure of neurological state further comprises detecting one or more stimulus events based on the sensor data exceeding a threshold value for a time period.
5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising calculating one of multiple event powers for each of the one or more audience members and for each of the stimulus events and aggregating the event powers.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising assigning weights to each of the event powers based on one or more source identities for the sensor data.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the measure of neurological state further comprises determining valence values based on the sensor data and including the valence values in determining the measure of neurological state.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the sensor data comprises one or more of electroencephalographic (EEG) data, facial electromyography (fEMG) data, video facial action unit (FAU) data, brain machine interface (BMI) data, functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) data, and functional near-infrared data (fNIR)
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the stage directions further comprises determining an error measurement based on comparing the measures with the targeted story arc for the performance.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the targeted story arc comprises a set of targeted neurological values each uniquely associated with a different scene or segment of the performance.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the performance includes audience immersion in which at least one of the one or more actors engages in dialog with one of the audience members.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the processor performs the receiving, determining, and generating for the one of the audience members and performs the signaling for the at least one of the one or more actors.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the processor performs the receiving, determining, and generating for multiple ones of the audience members in aggregate.
14 . An apparatus for directing live actors during a performance on a physical set, comprising a processor coupled to a memory, the memory holding program instructions that when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to perform:
receiving sensor data from at least one sensor positioned to sense an involuntary biometric response of one or more audience members experiencing a live performance by one or more actors;
determining a measure of neurological state of the one or more audience members, based on the sensor data;
generating stage directions for the performance, based at least in part on comparing the measures with a targeted story arc; and
signaling the stage directions to the one or more actors during the live performance.
15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the memory holds further instructions for determining the measure of neurological state at least in part by determining arousal values based on the sensor data and comparing a stimulation average arousal based on the sensor data with an expectation average arousal.
16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the memory holds further instructions for receiving the sensor data comprising one or more of electroencephalographic (EEG) data, galvanic skin response (GSR) data, facial electromyography (fEMG) data, electrocardiogram (EKG) data, video facial action unit (FAU) data, brain machine interface (BMI) data, video pulse detection (VPD) data, pupil dilation data, functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) data, and functional near-infrared data (fNIR).
17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the memory holds further instructions for determining the measure of neurological state at least in part by detecting one or more stimulus events exceeding a threshold value for a time period.
18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the memory holds further instructions for calculating one of multiple event powers for each of the one or more audience members and for each of the stimulus events and aggregating the event powers.
19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the memory holds further instructions for assigning weights to each of the event powers based on one or more source identities for the sensor data.
20 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the memory holds further instructions for determining the measure of neurological state at least in part by determining valence values based on the sensor data and including the valence values in determining the measure of neurological state.