Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about EchoDepth Insight.
From the science behind FACS and VAD scoring to pharma research applications, GDPR compliance and how to get started.
About EchoDepth Insight
What is EchoDepth Insight?
EchoDepth Insight is a remote research and product testing platform that captures real-time emotional responses using facial FACS analysis and VAD scoring. It replaces traditional focus groups and surveys — which are subject to social desirability bias, articulation gaps and post-rationalisation — with involuntary physiological signal measurement.
What are the weaknesses of traditional product testing that EchoDepth addresses?
Traditional research methods suffer from social desirability bias (participants say what they think researchers want to hear), the articulation gap (people cannot accurately describe emotional responses), post-rationalisation (conscious reflection distorts emotional memory), peer pressure in group settings, recall bias, geographic limitations, and the absence of moment-to-moment emotional data during stimulus exposure.
What research use cases does EchoDepth Insight support?
EchoDepth Insight supports pharmaceutical patient research, HCP engagement studies, drug messaging testing, FMCG product and packaging testing, concept and idea evaluation, advertising pre-testing with second-by-second emotion curves, healthcare communication research and device usability studies.
Who does EchoDepth Insight work with?
EchoDepth Insight works with pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organisations, FMCG brands, research agencies and innovation teams who need to understand genuine emotional response — not just what research participants say they feel.
Science & Technology
What is FACS and why does it matter for research?
FACS (Facial Action Coding System) is the scientific gold standard for facial expression analysis, developed by Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen. It maps every visible face movement to one of 44 numbered Action Units. Because AUs are largely involuntary — many cannot be consciously faked — they provide a reliable measure of genuine emotional response, independent of what the participant says or believes they felt.
What is VAD scoring in the context of research?
VAD stands for Valence (positive to negative), Arousal (calm to excited) and Dominance (submissive to in-control). EchoDepth Insight outputs continuous VAD scores throughout a research session, providing a three-dimensional emotional profile at every moment of stimulus exposure — not a single rating at the end.
How does a remote EchoDepth Insight session work?
Participants join via any device with a standard webcam or front-facing camera — no app installation required. Consent is captured digitally. Stimuli are delivered in-session: concepts, packaging, messaging, video or interview questions. EchoDepth captures 44 facial Action Units continuously throughout the session. VAD scores are computed in real time. Key moments are flagged automatically. A structured report is generated with emotion timelines, group aggregates and segment comparisons.
Pharmaceutical Research
How does EchoDepth Insight work for pharma research?
EchoDepth Insight captures moment-to-moment emotional responses in patient interviews, HCP discussions, clinical trial participant sessions and drug marketing material testing. It detects genuine emotional reactions to messaging, packaging, brand and product concepts — without relying on articulation or post-session recall.
Can EchoDepth Insight be used for patient journey research?
Yes. EchoDepth Insight is particularly valuable for patient journey research because it captures the emotional response at diagnosis communication, treatment decision points, therapy adherence interviews and care experience evaluation — all moments where patients are unlikely to accurately articulate their true feelings.
Is EchoDepth Insight suitable for HCP (healthcare professional) research?
Yes. HCPs are a notoriously difficult research audience — their professional training makes them highly effective at managing their self-presentation. EchoDepth Insight captures the involuntary physiological signals that reveal genuine response to product messaging, clinical data presentation and brand positioning.
How does EchoDepth Insight improve FMCG product testing?
Traditional FMCG research is distorted by the "interesting but wouldn't buy" gap — participants give safe social responses in group settings. EchoDepth Insight captures involuntary physiological response at the moment of stimulus exposure, revealing which concepts generate genuine desire versus polite curiosity. It supports packaging concept testing, brand evaluation, new product introduction research and advertising pre-testing.
Privacy, Ethics & Data
Is EchoDepth Insight GDPR compliant?
Yes. EchoDepth processes video in memory — no raw footage is stored. Only VAD scores and Action Unit activations are output. All processing is GDPR-compliant by design. Sessions are consented and time-bound with full participant data control. On-premise deployment is available for organisations with strict data residency requirements.
Does EchoDepth claim to detect lies?
No. EchoDepth does not claim to detect deception. It measures involuntary physiological markers — facial Action Units and VAD states — during consented research sessions. All interpretation and recommendation decisions remain with qualified researchers and client teams. This distinction is fundamental and non-negotiable in all deployments.
How does EchoDepth handle sensitive pharma research data?
No raw video is retained. Only VAD scores and Action Unit activations are output and stored. All sessions require explicit participant consent. On-premise deployment is available for organisations with strict data residency requirements. GDPR-compliant by design.
Company & Team
Who is behind EchoDepth Insight?
EchoDepth Insight is built by Cavefish Ltd, a Cardiff, Wales-based emotional intelligence company founded in September 2023. The platform is built on ISO 9001 and Cyber Essentials certified infrastructure. Cavefish is an FCA Regulatory Sandbox participant and has received 13 industry awards.
Who founded EchoDepth Insight?
EchoDepth Insight was founded by Jonathan Prescott, who previously led digital performance and behavioural analytics teams at the Royal Mint and Assurant. He holds an MBA from Bayes Business School and a B.Eng in Computer Systems Engineering. He is Strategy Director of AI Wales CIC and a Data & AI Council member at Technology Connected Wales.
What is Cavefish's approach to responsible emotional AI?
EchoDepth Insight does not diagnose individuals or claim to read minds. It measures Valence, Arousal and Dominance states during consented, time-bound research sessions. All interpretation and recommendation decisions remain with qualified researchers and client teams. No raw video is retained. Cavefish will not deploy EchoDepth in contexts where demographic bias could produce discriminatory outcomes.
Getting Started
How do I get started with EchoDepth Insight?
Contact us to book a 30-minute discovery call. We will explore your research challenge and constraints, then provide a live demo or sandbox API access depending on your needs. Every enquiry is read by a human and we respond within one business day.
Can EchoDepth Insight be used for advertising testing?
Yes. EchoDepth Insight provides second-by-second emotional curves across video advertising — showing exactly which moment lands, which triggers concern, and where attention drops. It supports both pre-testing before campaign launch and post-campaign emotional shift measurement against baseline.
Still have questions?
Book a 30-minute discovery call. We'll walk through your research challenge and show you what emotional capture looks like in practice.