Google is known for its new and innovative ideas. The company keeps coming up with ground breaking concepts which are not only new but different as well. This time also Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is a part of another such idea, a U.S based start-up is working on Google Glass Apps alongside hardware ad-ons that can assist autistic kids in learning social as well as communication skills. While helping the kids the app will also provide feedback to their caregivers.
According to a report by TechCrunch, the app will encourage the kids to interact with their parents or caregivers and make eye contact by providing them with exercises which are more like games. The apps has social “engagement module monitors” that checks how the child interacts with his parents.
A Neuroscientist Ned T Sahin is the founder of the start-up known as Brain Power. The start-up is Cambridge, Massachusetts based. Sahin believes in Google Glass because it has an accelerometer chip that facilitates head movements which is used by Brain Power to track if the kid is looking or not looking at their parents or caregivers, or the repetitive movements that autistic kids often make.
According to Tech Crunch due to the fact that the autism disorder range is so wide, Brain Power will initially keep its focus on children who have moderate to high-functioning autism. However, later on the founders of the app hope to provide its services to other children as well.
200 people are known to have signed up for Brain Power’s Beta program. According to this program, research will be conducted in the next year within three stages. The program will be under the supervision Brain Power team members while following the protocol of Harvard Medical School.
The Brain Power software enables kids to interpret their parent’s or caregiver’s expressions through game like exercises. This is done to ensure that the children read facial expression in the future without the Google Glass.
Sahin said that it is amazing to witness how quickly and smoothly children have grown used to wearing Google Glass. He further revealed that children with sensory overload issues also did not find any problem with wearing the Google Glass and it is encouraging to see that they can tolerate wearing them.
Besides interpreting the facial emotions, Brain Power will also be dealing with language. When a child sees an object through Google Glass, the object gets identified by Google Glass machine vision and its name gets displayed and the word is spoken through the Glass’ speaker or ear bud. The child therefore links the object with the word that he hears and sees and slowly starts linking the two.
Furthermore children will also be getting personalized language as well as conversation assistance via Brain Power Software. Along with that Google Glass accelerometer will also be able to predict when a child is about to throw a tantrum and will not only be able to warn the parents but will also offer advice on how to tackle the situation.
Overall this new app by Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is likely to have a highly positive effect on the life of parents with autistic children as well as their kids.
