Xiaomi Patents Lie Detector for Smartphones

Essentially, this is just a very smart camera.

Developed in 1921, the polygraph is still considered a lie detector in some countries, although research has confirmed that it can only measure stress levels. Xiaomi has proposed a different method to determine when a person is lying.

According to the Chinese publication ITHome, Xiaomi has received a patent for lie detection technology, as well as related devices, including mobile terminals and data storage. In other words, this is a technology that could be used in mobile devices - a standalone gadget or, say, a smartphone.

The basis of such a lie detector will be an inclined-rotating camera with a telephoto lens, capable of tracking the face and pupils of the person being tested. The algorithm will compare pupil movement and dilation with patterns that indicate whether a person is lying.

It has been known for some time that lying affects eye movements and pupil dilation. According to one study, when a person lies, the diameter of their pupils dilates by 4-8% from their original size. Additionally, a liar may blink up to 8 times more.

Xiaomi's patent shows that these physiological indicators of lying can be captured using a camera and a special algorithm. Now it remains to be seen whether such a device will avoid the fate of the polygraph and truly be able to detect lies rather than just stress.