A Novel Approach to Monitor Loco-Motor Skills in Children: A Pilot Study

Abstract

As children grow, they undergo loco-motor and cognitive development and acquire skills and abilities matched to their developmental stage. Correlations between gross-motor and cognitive development, for instance walking and language learning, have been reported. This insunateS loco-motor development echoes on cognitive development and delays on the first, may impact on a child’s potential to learn. Concerns regarding loco-motor development are commonly raised by parents or diagnosed by healthcare professionals. Motion gesture detection gaming technologies, may be used to screen and monitor gross-motor skills in developing children. However, challenges concerning: the accuracy of these sensors to detect the gestures of young children and, the design of activities that provide clear instructions and virtual environments that adapt to the real-world remain. This paper presents activities designed to guide children (2–7 years old) to perform loco-motor skills: jump, hop and run, matched to their developmental stage. It also provides results from pilot studies informing the design choices and the scaffolds children require to engage with the activities.