This Robot Can Navigate Tinder for You, Based Only on Your Sweat
Do you find Tinder — and the ultimate decision to Swipe Left or Swipe Right — too overwhelming?
A new contraption called the “True Love Tinder Robot,” developed by NYU grad student Nicole He, could provide a solution. According to He, the robot is able to measure a person’s attraction to another individual by measuring the amount of sweat on his or her hands.
Tech Times and Mic reported that the robot uses an Arduino mini-computer, a text-to-speech converter, LED lights, galvanized metal sheets, a synthetic hand, and — of course — a smartphone connected to the dating app, Tinder.
“Can you see yourself spending your life with this person?” the robot asks, as a photo of another Tinder user is displayed on the smartphone screen. The usual protocol for the app is simple: swipe right for a “yes,” or left for a “no.”
With the True Love Tinder Robot, you don’t even have to think about your answer. You merely place both hands on the galvanized metal sheets as you look at the photograph, and the sensors in these sheets measure changes in perspiration levels of your hands. This information is sent to the robot’s mini-computer where it’s analyzed to determine attraction, and then the computer instructs the synthetic hand to swipe left or swipe right on the smartphone screen.
Galvanic skin response (GSR), according to Vice, is an interesting way of measuring a complicated concept, such as attraction. When an individual sees something exciting, beautiful, or even scary, the skin responds by releasing sweat; even the smallest amount of sweat can signal a change in what a person is feeling, thinking, or perceiving.
This extra liquid moistens the skin and makes it more conducive to electricity, and GSR sensors measure the amount of electricity that can (harmlessly) be conducted from one moment to the next.
The True Love Tinder Robot certainly rests on verifiable scientific data, but there is one small flaw: the body doesn’t just release sweat based on feelings. Environmental factors (like temperature) play a role, and some people have a condition called hyperhidrosis where they experience excessive sweating for no apparent reason.
The True Love Tinder Robot may not be perfect, and it’s not exactly about to hit store shelves any time soon. Still, it’s an interesting example of just how powerful a person’s sweat can be.
