A GSR trace on its own shows that arousal rose. It does not show what the participant was looking at when it did. Shimmer’s latest prototype tackles that for online content.
What the extension does
It streams GSR and PPG from Shimmer3R sensors while a participant browses, and now records context alongside:
- Screenshots taken periodically, on each click, or after a short delay while the page settles.
- A collapsible overlay, so researchers can check live signals and then hide the controls from the participant.
- An interactive report that plots the signals against events, with screenshots and timestamps attached.
Why context matters
With a linear video, a timestamp tells you the scene. With a virtual museum tour or a website, every participant takes a different path, so screenshots become essential.
Shimmer is careful not to claim the tool infers engagement or stress. Its aim is richly labelled data that future models can build on.
From Consort XPR: We supply the Shimmer3R GSR through Tobii, recording alongside gaze in Tobii Pro Lab for psychology and consumer research.
Adapted from Adding Context to Browser-Based Physiological Recording, published by Shimmer (29 July 2026). Content and images used with permission.