TOKYO – Japan’s mobile carrier NTT Docomo Inc. has developed a system to quantify physical and mental pain felt by a person and share it with others, hoping to overcome the challenge of pain sensitivity that varies individually.
The world’s first technology converts the levels of pain that are difficult to convey in words to match perceptions of others through an analysis of an individual’s brainwaves, according to the company.
The types of pain that can be measured and shared include stomachaches and injuries, as well as sensations such as spiciness and coldness, and emotional damage caused by exposure to defamatory phrases, it said.
For example, the system developed with Japanese startup Pamela Inc. allows recipients to comprehend how much “a pain level of 50” means for another individual, NTT Docomo said. Recipients can also experience an individual’s pain through a device.
The company said it anticipates “immense potential” for the technology’s applications including in medical diagnosis support, rehabilitation at welfare facilities and enhanced immersive experiences in gaming.
The system could also be used to address psychological harm, which is hard to visualize, whether in cases where staff are attacked by abusive behavior by customers or individuals suffering from slander on social media, Docomo said.
An NTT Docomo official said it hopes to introduce the platform for practical use in time for the introduction of sixth-generation cellular networks, expected in the 2030s.
AloJapan.com