“Retron” Feedback Analyzer
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In the end of the eighties, the florida based “National Institute for Truth Verification” developped a piece of software which should be able to detect stress in the human voice and thus identify a statement as a lie. Studies proved, that the accuracy of this “Computerized Voice Stress Analyzer” (CVSA) was only 49.8 %, even worse than chance.

The industry still aims high in analyzing the voice: The so called “truth phone” measures “microtremors”, oscillations in the non-audible band, but these frequencies are simply not transmitted over a phone line.

The “Retron Feeback Analyzer” simulates a device like this: It detects the force of frequencies between 10 and 14 Hertz and argues whether the users are lying or not.

The installation was initially presented in the exhibition “reality show” in the Forum Schlossplatz, Aarau, in order to collect and analyze feedback for the exhibition.

Programming and Design Urs Hofer, Concept Beat Mazenauer, Urs Hofer