Can your emotions reveal your health? A trial will attempt to find out

The Emoscape trial will try to combine AI and inspiration from Navarasa to map a patient's health profile.

AI-driven emotion detection platform draws on the deep emotional currents of India’s ancient philosophy --Navarasa, some of which are captured by actor Prakash Raj in this file photo. File Photo

The Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), under whose aegis there are over 600 medical, dental, Ayurveda, and allied health institutions, has joined hands with global consulting and services company Nihilent for an extensive clinical trial of an innovative technology Emoscape.

Emoscape, Nihilent's AI-driven emotion detection platform claims to draw on the deep emotional currents of India’s ancient philosophy, Navarasa, the nine emotions that form the essence of human experience.

The partnership, according to Nihilent will aim to use a human-centered approach for problem-solving and change management. The goal is to make emotional well-being the cornerstone of healing.

Attempt to decode nine primal emotions

Emoscape's technology is said to capture subtle upper-body movements in 3D to decode nine primal emotions—love, joy, compassion, anger, courage, fear, disgust, wonder, and calmness—in real time. It is inspired by Navarasa, the emotional framework that has guided Indian performing arts for millennia.

The company claims that for the first time, physicians and mental health professionals will have access to tools that don't just treat symptoms—but truly understand the patient.

Lt Gen (Dr.) Madhuri Kanitkar, Vice Chancellor of MUHS, at the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between MUHS and Nihilent said, "You cannot separate the mind from the body. Healthcare must be holistic. By combining the time-tested wisdom of Navarasa with state-of-the-art technology, we are opening new doors for understanding and addressing emotional well-being."

From the Clinic to the Classroom

The partnership has far-reaching ambitions. Emoscape's applications will span multiple disciplines -- from non-communicable diseases and pediatric care to maternal mental health, psychiatric conditions, and pre-surgical counselling. By embedding emotion detection into clinical workflows, MUHS aims to craft more nuanced and personalised treatment plans.

Beyond clinical practice, MUHS students will also gain hands-on exposure to Emoscape through Nihilent's Summer Internship Program.

It remains to be seen how successful the ambitious experiment will turn out to be.