Often, anger is communicated in non-verbal behaviors such as voice tone, voice energy, and voice volume. Now, they have developed software to detect the emotion of anger by analyzing one’s voice.

Reminds one of the computer HAL in Stanley Kubrick’s classic 2110: a Space Odyssey

As reported in Life Science, Sigard, a new software package developed by Sound Intelligence, can detect verbal aggression with a high level of accuracy.

Combined with closed circuit television systems, Sigard can quickly notify security personnel about loud, angry people in outdoor public spaces, public transportation, nightclubs and bars.

Here’s how it works. A single analysis computer accepts sensor input from a variety of locations. Once the software detects a verbally aggressive human voice, it activates the camera associated with that sensor, bringing it to a security guard’s attention. This helps cut down on the number of people needed to monitor CCTVs.

Sigard Sound Intelligence software imitates the way that humans deal with sound, splitting it into different frequencies with varying amounts of energy. Just as a person can immediately detect anger and aggression in the midst of background noise, Sound Intelligence software “listens” for the same parameters that humans use in detecting aggressive speech.