
If a child experiences issues with motor development early on, it can be indicative of larger neurodevelopmental problems. Therefore, close monitoring is required so that early intervention can be achieved. Typically, this includes observing the child or a video recording of them, both of which are difficult to track. However, a recent Medgadget article discussed a new development that aims to improve this process via a wearable smart jumpsuit.
The product is called MAIJU, which stands for Motor assessment of Infants with a Jumpsuit. The team of researchers in Finland that created it outfitted a small jumpsuit with a series of motion sensors, and trained a machine learning algorithm to identify specific movements from kids wearing it. The benefit is that the suit can objectively monitor kids in natural settings over a long period of time, and assess motor development. A video with more information can be seen here.