Emotional sensing
How Wellex models the autonomic nervous system over time without claiming to read emotions.
Last updated: 2026-04-07
What the sensors actually see
The sensors measure HRV, GSR and skin temperature in continuous streams. None of these is an "emotion". They are markers of autonomic nervous system activation.
What the model derives
A two-axis state estimate: arousal (high ↔ low) and balance (sympathetic ↔ parasympathetic). Over a day, this yields a smooth trajectory rather than discrete labels.
Why we do not say "stress level"
A single "stress score" is a misleading abstraction. Two members with identical GSR patterns can be having very different days. Wellex surfaces the trajectory, not the label, and lets the member apply their own context.
How it shows up in the app
The "Stress balance" sub-score of WVI is the daily integral of the parasympathetic axis. A drop signals sustained sympathetic dominance — the model's way of saying "you have been activated for a long time, recovery would help."
What this is not
This is not an emotion-recognition system. We do not claim to detect anger, sadness, joy or any specific emotion. We model autonomic state, which is a much narrower (and more honest) claim.