‘Truth assessments’ program developed at University of Arizona
By David Wichner | Arizona Daily Star
You can’t hide those lying eyes from AVATAR, an invention spun out of University of Arizona labs and recently licensed to a startup company that aims to take the device to market.
The “deception detection technology” records a person’s facial expressions and body indicators like vital signs and uses sophisticated computer algorithms to judge whether the subjects are fudging.
AVATAR — Automated Virtual Agent for Truth Assessments in Real-Time — was developed by researchers in the UA Eller College of Management Management Information Systems program. It was recently licensed to local startup Discern Science International Inc., one of 16 tech startups spun out of the UA through Tech Launch Arizona during the fiscal year ended June 30.
Jay Nunamaker, a UA Regents professor who holds the Soldwedel Chair in Management Information Systems, led the yearslong development of AVATAR and serves as president and CEO of Discern Science.
