Affective Computing with Case Studies (EMAI4EU)

The course covers various topics in the interdisciplinary field of Affective Computing, delivered by Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary. The online study material introduces the fundamental concepts, theories, and real-world applications of Affective Computing, demonstrating how artificial intelligence-supported systems analyse multimodal human emotional data such as facial expressions, speech, and gestures. Students will explore how machines sense and empathize with human emotional states, gaining a foundational understanding of how this technology transforms fields like healthcare, education, gaming, and assistive technologies.

About this course

In an increasingly digital world, connecting human emotion with machine intelligence is essential for building adaptive and responsive technologies. This online course introduces the core principles, foundational theories, and practical applications of Affective Computing. The curriculum breaks down how modern AI detects human affect by analysing facial expressions, voice tone, eye movements, body gestures, and physiological data like heart rate or skin response. Beyond basic recognition, students will discover how machines process these emotional inputs to enable natural interaction in healthcare, education, gaming, and assistive systems. Through structured study materials, participants will gain a solid technical and theoretical understanding of emotion recognition frameworks while evaluating the essential legal, privacy, and ethical standards required for responsible design.

Course structure

• Understand the fundamental principles, historical context, and key application areas of Affective Computing.

• Explore single and multimodal behavioural data sources, including facial expressions, vocal features, gaze patterns, body posture, and gestures.

• Analyse physiological indicators such as heart rate and skin conductivity captured through wearable devices to assess emotional states.

• Examine the dynamics of human-human interactions and multimodal human-computer interaction to improve system responsiveness.

• Evaluate the legal and ethical considerations surrounding privacy, consent, and responsible design in emotion-sensing systems.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the foundational theories, main methodologies, historical evolution, and cross-industry applications of Affective Computing systems.
• Use multimodal data sources (including facial expressions, speech acoustics, eye tracking, and body gestures) to detect and evaluate human emotional states.
• Critically analyse affective frameworks
• Assess and apply legal, ethical, and privacy standards to ensure responsible design and deployment of emotion-sensing technologies.

Further details 

This course is developed within the framework of the EMAI4EU project, with the support of the Digital Europe Programme of the European Union. More information on the course is available on the project's website via here.