---
license: other
license_name: diem-a-ula
license_link: https://forms.gle/4GVB9PXkYZ9zoMPL6
extra_gated_heading: "Access Request & User License Agreement"
extra_gated_prompt: >-
Access to DIEM-A requires a signed User License Agreement (ULA). To request access:
1. Open the [**DIEM-A application form**](https://forms.gle/4GVB9PXkYZ9zoMPL6), which contains the full ULA.
2. Print, sign, scan, and upload the signed PDF through the form.
3. The User (signatory) must be a PI at an academic or publicly funded research institute, as per Section 3 of the ULA.
4. After RIEC reviews and approves your application, request access here using the **same email address** you provided in the form.
Use is restricted to **non-commercial academic research** (scientific research, teaching, classroom use). Redistribution is not permitted.
For more information, see the [**official DIEM-A website**](https://www.cr-ict.riec.tohoku.ac.jp/diem-a/) and the [**ACII 2025 paper**](https://www.riec.tohoku.ac.jp/~kitamura/PDF/DIEM-A_ACII2025_Cheng.pdf).
extra_gated_button_content: "I have submitted the signed ULA via the form"
task_categories:
- other
language:
- en
- ja
- zh
tags:
- emotion-recognition
- motion-capture
- affective-computing
- body-movement
- cross-cultural
- 3d-skeleton
size_categories:
- 10K
## Overview
- **Performers:** 97 professional performers — 54 Japanese, 43 Taiwanese.
- **Emotions:** 12 emotion categories (joy, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, disgust, contempt, gratitude, guilt, jealousy, shame, pride) plus a neutral state.
- **Scenarios:** 3 self-prepared, personalised scenarios per emotion, created by the performers in their native language (Japanese or Mandarin), with English translations by three bilingual experts.
- **Intensity levels:** low, medium, high. Neutral was recorded at a single intensity.
- **Recordings per performer:** 111 = (12 emotions × 3 scenarios × 3 intensities) + (neutral × 3 scenarios × 1 intensity).
- **Total recordings:** 10,212.
- **Modalities:** motion-capture data and scenario text descriptions. (Video recordings are part of DIEM-A but are not distributed via Hugging Face.)
## Data formats
Recordings were captured using the Vicon "Production" marker set (57 retro-reflective markers). The reconstructed skeleton has **24 joints** (Hips, Spine ×4, Neck ×2, Head, and 4 segments per limb × 4 limbs), with **Z-axis up, Y-axis forward, X-axis from left to right shoulder**.
Each recording is provided in three formats:
| Format | Contents |
|---------|-------------------------------------------|
| `.bvh` | Skeleton (24 joints) |
| `.c3d ` | 57 marker positions |
| `.fbx ` | Skeleton (24 joints) + 57 marker positions |
Files are named following the convention `Country_PerformerID_Emotion_ScenarioNumber_Intensity`.
### Rotation order
**Update (2026-06):** The motion files were re-exported with specific **per-joint Euler rotation orders** to avoid gimbal lock. This supersedes the uniform `ZYX` order stated in the ACII 2025 paper. Files downloaded before this date use the older `ZYX` export — re-download for the current version.
Per-joint orders are declared in each `.bvh` `CHANNELS` line and `.fbx` node.
> **Note.** Japanese performers 1–5 were recorded with an OptiTrack system rather than the Vicon system used for all other performers. They require additional pre-processing for consistency and will be released later.
## License and access
Use of DIEM-A is governed by the DIEM-A User License Agreement (ULA). Key terms:
- **Academic, non-commercial use only** — scientific research, teaching, and classroom use. Commercial systems, military applications, and government public-space systems are explicitly prohibited.
- **PI signature required** — the User must be a PI at an academic or publicly funded research institute. Students and part-time lecturers may be listed as Additional Researchers under the PI.
- **No redistribution** — except small portions used for clarification in academic publications or presentations.
- Access is granted only after the signed ULA has been received by RIEC.
To request access, submit the application form: .
## Citation
If you use any part of DIEM-A (motion capture data, scenario text data, or video recordings), please cite:
```bibtex
@inproceedings{cheng2025,
title = {Asian Emotional Body Movement Database: Diverse Intercultural E-Motion Database of Asian Performers (DIEM-A)},
author = {Cheng, Miao and Tseng, Chia-huei and Fujiwara, Ken and Schneider, Victor and Kitamura, Yoshifumi},
booktitle = {2025 13th International Conference on Affective Computing and Intelligent Interaction (ACII)},
pages = {1--8},
year = {2025},
organization = {IEEE}
}
```
If you also use perception data from the preliminary evaluation, please additionally cite:
```bibtex
@article{cheng2024,
title = {Toward an Asian-based bodily movement database for emotional communication},
author = {Cheng, Miao and Tseng, Chia-huei and Fujiwara, Ken and Higashiyama, Shoi and Weng, Abby and Kitamura, Yoshifumi},
journal = {Behavior Research Methods},
volume = {57},
number = {1},
pages = {10},
year = {2024},
publisher = {Springer}
}
```
## Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO [JPNP21004]). Ethical approval was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committees at Tohoku University and National Chung Cheng University.