From New Scientist

New Scientist reports that engineers in the UK are working on a sort of “fear detector” which will enable amusement park rides to automatically adjust based on the level of excitement riders want to experience.

New Scientist explains:

A human operator can see a person’s heartbeat and facial expression and hear their reaction via a display, and use that information to control the motion of the ride.

The team is studying how the physiological data correlates with the emotions a person reports experiencing during a ride. Knowing how to tell when a person is having fun, bored or fearing for their life could make it possible to have rides automatically alter their behaviour to give the best possible experience. For example, the individual cars of a roller coaster could each deliver a ride customised to the occupants.

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