A Chinese university lecturer is using facial-recognition technology on his students to help determine the level of interest in his classes, a tool he said could be used in wider education.

Science professor Wei Xiaoyong developed the new “face reader” to identify emotions which suggest if students are bored or stimulated.

His technique produces a “curve” for each student showing how much they are either “happy” or “neutral”, and that data can indicate whether they are bored, he said.

“When we correlate that kind of information to the way we teach, and we use a timeline, then you will know where you are actually attracting the students’ attention,” Professor Wei told The Telegraph.

“Then you can ask whether this is a good way to teach that content? Or if this content is OK for the students in that class?”