Towards a Characterisation of Emotional Intent During Scripted Scenes Using In-ear Movement Sensors

Theatre provides a unique environment in which to obtain detailed data on social interactions in a controlled and repeatable manner.This work introduces a method for capturing and characterising the underlying emotional intent of performers in a scripted sceneusing in-ear accelerometers. Each scene is acted with different underlying emotional intentions using the theatrical technique ofActioning. The goal of the work is to uncover characteristics in the joint movement patterns that reveal information on the positive ornegative valence of these intentions. Preliminary findings over 3x12 (Covid-19 restricted) non-actor trials suggests people are moreenergetic and more in-sync when using positive versus negative intentions.