Infant Growth Tracking via Camera and Wireless Scale
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Solution Overview
Problem
Parents and caretakers face challenges in monitoring infant development accurately and frequently without relying on healthcare providers, as existing methods lack real-time tracking capabilities and are often intrusive or inaccurate.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a portable device with a camera and a wireless weighing scale that captures and combines weight and image data to provide real-time infant development statistics, allowing for easy monitoring and storage of growth metrics such as height and head circumference, using shape recognition algorithms for non-intrusive measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If parents use traditional methods to monitor baby development, then they can obtain development information, but they must visit healthcare providers frequently which consumes time and causes inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables parents to independently monitor their baby's development at home using a portable device with camera and weighing scale, eliminating the need for frequent healthcare provider visits. The device automatically captures images, measures weight, and compares development against standard curves, allowing parents to self-assess their baby's growth without external intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of in-person healthcare visits with an automated digital system. The portable device uses image processing algorithms and automatic weight measurement to substitute for manual medical examinations, providing development monitoring through computational analysis rather than physical healthcare interactions.
2Ease of operation
If parents take photos of the baby to track development, then they can visually monitor growth, but the information obtained is not accurate enough
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple measurement modalities into a single integrated solution. It combines camera-based image analysis for visual growth tracking with automatic weighing scale integration for precise weight measurement. By merging these complementary methods, the system achieves both the convenience of visual monitoring and the accuracy of quantitative measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual photo-taking and visual estimation with automated image processing algorithms. The system automatically captures images, extracts measurement data through computational analysis, and compares results against standard development curves, substituting human visual assessment with machine-based precision measurement.
3Reliability
If healthcare providers conduct frequent examinations to ensure accurate development monitoring, then development data can be tracked reliably, but the process becomes intrusive and inconvenient for families
Solution Approach 1:
The system transfers the monitoring function from healthcare providers to parents through an automated portable device. Parents can independently and conveniently conduct reliable development assessments at home without requiring professional intervention, making the process as convenient as daily caregiving routines while maintaining data reliability through automated calculations and comparisons.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a system (100a) for tracking infant development, the system comprising: —a portable device (101) including a camera and a processing unit, and —a weighing scale (102), preferably comprising a wireless transceiver; wherein the weighing scale is configured to measure the weight of an infant and to transmit the measured weight information to the portable device; and wherein the portable device is configured to —capture (401) an image of the infant; —combine the received weight information and information derived from the image of the infant to obtain (404) infant development statistics; and —store (403) the image and the obtained infant development statistics in a storage; wherein the information derived from the image includes at least one of the height of the infant and the head circumference of the infant. The invention further provides a portable device, a weighing scale, and a computer readable medium.