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Amazon is reportedly developing a voice-activated wearable device that can recognize human emotions.
The gadget, meant to be worn on a person's wrist, is reportedly a health and wellness product developed via a collaboration between Lab126 -- which built Amazon's Echo smart speaker -- and the Alexa software team.
According to internal documents obtained by Bloomberg and a person familiar with the matter, the device has microphones that can figure out a person's emotional state from the sound of his or her voice. The documents also apparently show how the technology could eventually assist the wearer in interacting more effectively with others.
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A beta testing program is reportedly underway, but it's not clear whether the project, code-named Dylan, will ever become a commercial device or exactly how far along the project is in its development, reported Bloomberg.
When Fox News reached out to Amazon for comment on Thursday, a spokesperson said the tech giant "does not comment on rumours or speculation."
The business outlet also reported about a U.S. patent filed in 2017, but made public last year, for a system in which voice software uses analysis of vocal patterns to decode how a person is feeling, discerning among a range of emotional states, including joy, anger, sorrow, sadness, fear and disgust.
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A U.S. Patent Office diagram from Amazon is seen above.
A diagram in the patent filing says the technology can detect an abnormal emotional condition and shows a sniffling woman telling Alexa she’s hungry. The digital assistant, realizing that she has a cold, then asks the woman if she would like a recipe for chicken soup.
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Amazon, of course, is not the only tech company pursuing the possibilities for health and wellness with wearable devices.
The Apple Watch has been called life-saving for its ability to detect irregular heartbeats.
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