Affective computing investigates how computers could recognize and respond to emotions. Various methods are applied to recognize emotions such as physiological measurements, facial recognition etc. This PhD research focuses on how stress, which is often considered as a subset of emotions could be recognized from behavior and in particular from manipulative hand movements.

The future of computing is thought to move away from the desktop and into the environment. Various devices that are being used today, such as mobile phones and PDA's constitute an early prove this trend. If behavior recognition would be incorporated in such devices, this could provide a daily monitoring of stress. The consequent goal of this research is to investigate how these products should react towards their users in order support in reducing stress. Mainly the experience of such products will be studied. While considering that wireless communication is rapidly extending, the previously mentioned devices could also communicate information on levels of stress to computers that control the environment. Further research will therefore focus on how environments should respond to the user's state, applying modifications in lighting, wallpaper, music, etc.