Potential of Human Tracking in Assistive Technologies for Children with Cognitive Disabilities

Abstract

The development of human tracking systems has had a significant influence over the evolution of Assistive Technologies for aiding children with cognitive disabilities. Techniques that range from radio frequency, Inertial Measurement Units, and Electroencephalography to the Global Positioning System and depth-based vision systems have provided tools for researchers to incorporate indoor and outdoor localization, motion and activity tracking as well as well-being monitoring into their projects. This chapter aims to introduce the latest human tracking options to consider for implementation of future Assistive Technology projects. Some example research work is discussed with emphasis on how human tracking systems can help in gathering the right data. The chapter concludes with a discussion of a proposed hybrid vision-based system for assisting in full-time supervision of children with cognitive disabilities, utilizing the chapter's central theme of sensor fusion application.