Modeling and prediction of human behavior
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Updated: Oct 25, 2026

Decoding Natural Behavior from Neuroethological Embedding
Published on: October 3, 2025
1The Media Laboratory, E15-387, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge MA 02139, USA. sandy@media.mit.edu
Abstract:
We propose that many human behaviors can be accurately described as a set of dynamic modes (e.g., Kalman filters) sequenced together by a Markov chain. We then use these dynamic Markov models to recognize human behaviors from sensory data and to predict human behaviors over a few seconds time. To test the power of this modeling approach, we report an experiment in which we were able to achieve 95% accuracy at predicting automobile drivers' subsequent actions from their initial preparatory movements.
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