Can computers be trained to understand body language?

Humans are able to "read" others' body language for cues on their emotional state. For instance, noticing that a friend is nervous by their tapping foot, or that a loved one who is standing tall feels confident. Now, a team of researchers at Penn State are exploring if computers can be trained to do the same. The team is investigating whether modern computer vision techniques could match the cognitive ability of humans in recognizing bodily expressions in real-world, unconstrained situations. If so, these capabilities might allow for a large number of innovative applications in areas including information management and retrieval, public safety, patient care and social media, the researchers said.