Observational Research · Multimodal Data · Since 1991
Software and AV Systems for Observational and Behavioral Research
The Real Hurdle
The Challenge Is Not the Research Question. It’s the Data Streams.
A typical study of mother-infant interaction: two cameras capture the faces and gaze of mother and infant, a microphone records vocalizations, and sensors measure electrodermal activity. The question: how does the infant respond physiologically when the mother turns away, and how quickly does the dyad reconnect?
To answer it, every data stream has to line up exactly in time. In practice, they often sit in separate devices and files, each with its own time base. So researchers re-synchronize, convert and code by hand. An offset of just a few frames changes the answer to what happened when, and what followed what.
Time goes into technology instead of research. And the concern remains whether the data quality will hold up in peer review.
Multimodal data belongs on one shared timeline, from recording to analysis.
Where Do You Stand?
Three entry points, one principle: capture data streams in sync and analyze them efficiently. Each solution works on its own and can be combined.
Step 1
Capture in Sync
At the screen, in the observation room or in the field: all data sources of a study are brought onto one shared timeline during recording.
Mangold Observation Studio
Multimodal experiments at the screen: stimulus, webcam and sensors in sync, controlled with the Mangold Experiment Designer.
On-Premise Emotion Analysis
AI-based emotion analysis detects six basic emotions from the webcam image, GDPR-compliant on your own computer with no cloud upload.
120+ Sensors via LSL
Eye tracking, EEG, GSR, EMG, ECG and other devices are captured in sync via Lab Streaming Layer. In principle, any LSL device can be connected; integration is checked case by case.
In the Observation Room
AV Research Labs
When behavior is observed in a room, stationary labs and portable system cases record every angle in sync.
Stationary Observation Labs
Permanently installed, tailored to your study design
Tailored to Your Study Design
Camera positions, microphones and observation room are matched to your research question and your rooms.
Every Angle in Sync
Mangold VideoSyncPro records cameras, audio and other sources in sync. The recordings can be analyzed in Mangold INTERACT with no re-synchronization.
For Ongoing Research Programs
A permanently installed lab provides consistent recording conditions for years, an important prerequisite for comparable data.
Portable System Cases
The complete lab in a transport case
Field Studies and Home Visits
Ready in minutes, for example to observe mother and infant in the family’s familiar environment.
In Sync on the Go
Two HD cameras with vario zoom, professional audio and Mangold VideoSyncPro, self-contained and without a network.
The Same Analysis
Recordings from the case are analyzed in Mangold INTERACT exactly like recordings from the stationary lab.
Step 2
Analyze Efficiently
Code, check reliability and find patterns without merging data streams by hand. Mangold INTERACT processes any recording, no matter how it was made.
Mangold INTERACT
Behavioral coding software, limited only by your research question.
Code According to Your Method
Event, time, scan and focal sampling, custom coding schemes and transcription: Mangold INTERACT adapts to your method, not the other way around.
Reliability From Actual Code Overlaps
Inter-rater reliability, such as Cohen’s kappa, is calculated from the actual overlaps of the codes. You see immediately where coders disagree.
Find Patterns Over Time
Sequence analysis, lag sequential analysis, state space grids and contingency analysis show what follows what. Export to R, SPSS, Python, Excel and SDIS for GSEQ.
Physiology on the Video Timeline
The Mangold DataView add-on synchronizes EEG, EDA, heart rate and other signals frame-accurately with the video and automatically creates events from thresholds.
Why Researchers Trust Mangold International
You Know Your Research Question. We Make Sure the Data Fits Together.
We know the methodological and technical challenges of multimodal studies. Mangold International is a pioneer and global market leader in developing software and system solutions for analyzing audio and video data, and develops all core components in-house.
35+ Years of Experience
Since 1991, Mangold International has developed software and systems for observational research, used at 80 of the world’s top 100 universities.
Everything From One Source
All core components are developed in-house. That is why software, recording and sensors can be matched to your study design and connected to other systems.
Precise Synchronization
Multimodal data is processed internally with a timestamp accuracy of 100 nanoseconds. The actual capture rate depends on the device used.
Scientific Guidance
The Mangold Scientific Service offers personal guidance on study design, data collection and analysis, with up to 20 hours of individual support per year.
Direct Manufacturer Support
No call center and no reseller: your questions go to the people who develop the software, in English and German.
Awarded and Certified
Recognized with several awards, including the Bavarian Export Prize, and certified by the Chamber of Commerce (PQ-VOL) for public tenders since 2013.
What Researchers Report
Prof. Dr. habil. Sarah Désirée Lange
TU Chemnitz
" The collaboration with Mangold is very constructive and supportive. The technical equipment of the video and audio lab allows us to feel as if we are directly live in the classroom during observation - without any disruption. We can also get straight to analyzing the video data using INTERACT, without the laborious synchronization of video and audio data required in other setups. "
Dipl.-Ing. Sylvia Hubalek
ETH Zürich, Centre for Organisational and Work Sciences, Environmental Ergonomics Group
" After the first test run with the new Data View, we are all totally enthusiastic! I have already discovered some of my wishes that have already been integrated - thank you! This saves us a lot of time. "
Prof. Dr. Dr. Matthias Gauly
Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Göttingen
" The observer agreement calculation integrated in INTERACT saves us a great deal of time and delivers high data quality. "
Meghan H. Puglia, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, University of Virginia
" We are very pleased with our Mangold system and the INTERACT software. The customer service and support is exceptional and the capabilities of our system allow us to capture high-quality behavioral recordings. "
Three Steps
How Your Data Streams Get Onto One Timeline
- 1
Clarify Your Study Design
Together we clarify research question, data sources and analysis path: which cameras, sensors and coding schemes your study needs.
- 2
Choose the Right Combination
Software alone, software with sensors or a complete observation lab: you receive a quote that covers exactly your study.
- 3
Capture and Analyze
You record in sync and analyze in Mangold INTERACT. If you already have recordings, test Mangold INTERACT directly with your own videos.
From Separate Data Streams to Robust Results
Talk to us about your study design, from a single Mangold INTERACT license to a complete observation lab. Or first find out which entry point fits you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Mangold International lab to use Mangold INTERACT?
Mangold INTERACT is standalone software and processes any audio or video recording, whatever camera or system it was made with. A lab from Mangold International makes sense when you want to capture recordings in sync and without post-processing.
How do video and sensor data get onto one shared timeline?
That depends on the entry point. Mangold Observation Studio captures stimulus, webcam and sensors via LSL in sync during recording. In AV research labs, Mangold VideoSyncPro records all cameras and audio sources in sync. For physiological data collected separately, there is the Mangold DataView add-on for Mangold INTERACT.
How is inter-observer agreement checked?
Mangold INTERACT calculates inter-rater reliability, such as Cohen’s kappa, from the actual overlaps of two observers’ codes. You see exactly where codings diverge and can sharpen your coding scheme accordingly.