SIstema DOmiciliare di Rieducazione Espressiva del Movimento e dell'Interazione
Funded under: Telecom Italia Foundation
Start date 1 December 2013 End date 1 December 2015
Keywords: Multisensory experience; augmented interaction; assistive technology
In the last years, SI-Lab has been specialized in the analysis and experimentation of gestural interfaces for the development of an informatics system able to generate sounds, music and graphics closely related with the body movement. This innovative way of interaction with the environment is especially suitable for the treatment of childrend suffering of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A first prototype of the system has been experimented for two consecutive school seasons (yy 2011-2012 and yy 2012-1013) to the Istituto Comprensivo Massarosa 1. A psychologist team analized recorded footages recognizing interesting progress from the initial situation such as the visual contact with the operator.
Thanks to this sperimentation, importance of transferring the session benefits in a familiar contest became evident. Aiming at this objective, a system home version has been developed in collaboration with Telecom Italia foundation. This version, based on more sophisticated technologies, has been installed in patients' homes. With this version, families can follow, in home environment, the rehabilitative course. Child, under the guidance of a parent properly trained, moves in front of a special gestural sensor attached to a pc producing, with his movements, real-time sounds. System provides different ways of interaction. Each installation is connected, through internet, to a remote server. The data produced during the "game" sessions are sent to the server where are analyzed by specialists. Furthermore, the home systems can be remotely configured and provide a video-chat through which families can directly talk with specialists. Home installation is completed by an innovative and non-invasive system, developed by Wireless Networks Laboratory of ISTI-CNR, to monitoring sleep quality. This system is based on a sensor matrix placed below children mattress. Indeed, ASD patients often suffer of sleep disorders. Sperimentation has been carried out on a set of children selected by Dr. Silvano Solari team, professor at Genova University and editor of Autismi journal. The children involved into the project, suffering of high functioning (AF) ASD, have partecipated with vivid interest and their sensorial perception and iteraction have improved considerably.
