Synesketch
Synesketch is a free open-source engine for textual emotion recognition and artistic visualization.
In a nutshell, the software takes sentences as an input (for example, sentences of a chat conversation) and analyses their emotional content in terms of emotional types (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise), weights (how intense the emotion is), and a valence (is it positive or negative). The recognition technique is grounded on a refined keyword spotting method which employs: (a) a WordNet-based word lexicon, (b) a lexicon of emoticons, common abbreviations and colloquialisms, and (c) a set of heuristic rules.
Once the recognition process is finished, Synesketch visualizes the emotions recognized in the form of real-time generative abstract animated art. There are several visualization systems currently employed – from the simplistic Hooloovoo (a grid of colored squares) to the complex Synemania (a drawing system of various particles, partially based on the algorithms of Jared Tarbell). However, since Synesketch is open source, any developer/designer can create her/his own visualizations.
Synesketch was already used by several developers in various contexts. It was reviewed by the Creative Review magazine and selected for the Alternative Party art festival in Finland. The recognition algorithm behind the Synesketch won the Belgrade Chamber of Commerce Award for the best graduation thesis at the University of Belgrade.
See more information on the website synesketch.krcadinac.com.
Research paper
Uros Krcadinac, Jelena Jovanovic, Vladan Devedzic, Philippe Pasquier. Textual Affect Communication and Evocation Using Abstract Generative Visuals, IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems - IEEE Press, 46-3, 370-380, 2016.
Uros Krcadinac, Philippe Pasquier, Jelena Jovanovic, Vladan Devedzic. Synesketch: An Open Source Library for Sentence-based Emotion Recognition, IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 312-325, 2013.