A measurement system for the behavior of children with developmental disorder using an omnidirectional camera

Abstract

AbstractIn the evaluation of children with developmental disorder, such as autism and learning disabilities (LD), an interview and behavior observation by a doctor or a clinical psychologist, as well as the hearing or behavior checklist completed by the parent or classroom teacher, are employed. Those, however, cannot be quantitative, and it is difficult to analyze in detail the long‐term observation or effectiveness of education or therapy. From such a viewpoint, it is desired to establish a method that can measure the behavior of the child on a more objective and quantitative basis. As a means of behavior measurement, the child may carry a transmitter or a marker, but a child with a developmental disorder often rejects an instrument that directly touches the body, which makes the application difficult. A wide‐angle camera may be employed, but its use is not simple, such as the need for calibration at the site of installation. In this study, a noncontact behavior measurement system is constructed, in which an omnidirectional camera with a hyperbolic mirror is used to determine the spatial position of the child in an objective and quantitative way. Using the constructed system, the behavior of the child with a developmental disorder is examined, and characteristic patterns are observed. It is concluded that the result of such a measurement can be a useful index in the evaluation of the observation of the course of the child with a developmental disorder, as well as in the evaluation of the effectiveness of education or therapy. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 34(2): 23–31, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.10177