Stress Tracker-Detecting Acute Stress From a Trackpad: Controlled Study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Stress poses significant risks to physiological and mental health.
• Current stress monitoring methods lack convenience, affordability, and user adherence.
• Previous research demonstrated acute stress detection via biomechanical analysis of computer input devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of detecting acute stress using passive trackpad movement data.
• To analyze three common trackpad interactions: click, steer, and drag and drop.
• To extend prior work on mouse-based stress detection to trackpad interactions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized biomechanical analysis of trackpad interactions.
• Collected data from 18 participants performing click, steer, and drag and drop tasks under relaxed and stressed conditions.
• Analyzed movement patterns and contact area during these interactions.

Main Results:

• Increased mean and standard deviation of finger contact area during clicking under stress.
• Demonstrated that as few as four trackpad clicks can accurately detect the presence of acute stress.
• Identified significant differences in biomechanical parameters between stressed and relaxed states.

Conclusions:

• Passive monitoring of computer trackpad usage offers a scalable and cost-effective solution for unobtrusive stress sensing.
• Repurposing everyday computer interactions enables continuous health monitoring.
• This approach supports proactive health interventions through early stress detection.