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Conception of bioadaptable children's computer toys
Symhi()sis of tit,nan anti Artifact Y. Anz,ai, K. Ogawa and ti. M()ri (Editors) © 1995 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r~.;scrvcd.
95
C o n c e p t i o n of b i o a d a p t a b l e c h i l d r e n ' s c o m p u t e r t o y s V. V. Savchenko Institute of Engineering Cybernetics, Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 6 Surganov Str., Minsk 220012, Republic of Belarus The paper considers algorithms for new generation of children's toys - bioadaptable toys. Basing on the analysis of physiological and/or psychophysiological parameters a functional state or behaviour response of a child are interpreted at a specified time moment, and depending on their values an adequate (corresponding to the set objective) control algorithm of a toy ,,behaviour,, is generated. The toy ,,behaviour,, is considered as a semantic biofeedback organization, and hence can be used for a functional state correction of a child.
1. I N T R O D U C T I O N
Biomedical Cybernetics, Ergonomics and Psychophysiology have obtained scientific results, which evidence, that principally it is possible to recognize some functional states of a man based on the analysis of his physiological and/or psychophysiological parameters [1-3]. Special investigations have been also carried out to reveal the children's psychophysiological parameters dynamics in different functional states and in the process of game [4-7]. A possibility of one or other children's functional states and behaviour response interpretation has been demonstrated on the basis of these parameters analysis. A method of biofeedback, set up by such parameters, allows to attain their purposeful change within specified limits using self-regulation, and thereby to control functional state of a man. Today three main ways are known and widely used for biofeedback setting up: visual, sound, tactile and combinations of them. In case, when we deal with a child, especially of an early age, the similar biofeedback organization methods oriented mainly on grown-ups can be insufficiently effective or non-perceptible by a child at all. In spite of the fact, that a biofeedback method is widely used in research work and applied medicine, the obtained results are sometimes contradictory. In most cases it is caused by impossibility to perform correct and adequate work modelling at operational level of a biofeedback method by well-known today mathematical tools and approaches. The application efficiency of this method is largly depends on that, to what extent an experimentalist clearly and exactly and just for this concrete subject, working with specific biofeedback method, has explained what and how the subject is to do in order to attain the desired results. Creation of reasons for successful performance of the experiment task by the subject is of no less importance.
96
2. THE MAIN IDEA Basing on the analysis of physiological and/or psychophysiological parameters a functional state or behaviour response of a child is interpreted at a specified time moment and, depending on the interpretation results, an adequate algorithm for a toy ,,behaviour~ control is generated.
3. EXAMPLE OF SIMPLE SCRIPTS FOR BIOADAPTABLE C O M P U T E R TOY REALIZATION BY C H I L D ' S T R E M O R P A R A M E T E R S A script is for children from three to five. By means of computer graphics the following animated plot is created and displayed on the monitor screen: a small lake rushy along the edges, the sun is shining, a fish is swimming in the lake, butterflies and dragon-flies are fluttering. On a large leaf of a water-lily, being on the water, a frog is sitting, showing with all its appearance, that it is not against having breakfast. Near the water-lily leaf there are cranes which are slightly rocking from a light breeze. On one of the crane leaves a grasshopper is sitting. The leaf is trembling with light puff of the breeze, and the grasshopper takes the risk to fall down straight on the frog. The frog is seeing that and ready to swallow the grasshopper at once if it will not hold itself on the crane leaf. The amplitude and frequency of the crane leaf vibrations on which the grasshopper is sitting depends on the child's hand tremor. The tremor parameters are read through an appropriate sensor and via a signal input device are sent into the computer, where in the monitoring mode the amplitude and tremor frequency values are calculated. On the calculated values base an amplitude and vibration frequency for the crane leaf with the sitting grasshopper are specified. During the game program loading into computer, in conversational mode thresholds for the tremor amplitude and frequency are set up. The criteria for thresholds setting up are defined by the game purpose. If this game is an amusement for a healthy child, thresholds are specified a little lower than the statistic-mean values of the child tremor parameters. In the process of the game the child seeks, that the grasshopper has not fallen down from the crane leaf and been swallowed by the frog. It will be managed only in that case if he will learn to hold the amplitude and tremor frequency of his hand lower, than that of thresholds. During the game a new functional system of the child is formed which promotes development of self-regulation skills. Acquiring of such habits is positive for the child and strengthens his protection functions. If it is a child with observed, for example, neurological disorder one of the symptoms of which is an increased tremor, then such a toy promotes correction of such disorders under obligatory coordination of methods and threshold values of the tremor parameters with the attending doctor. F o r elder children the animated plot may be as follows: on the monitor screen you can see a football field, gates, a goal-keeper, a referee and a rival player (in practice, a playing child is modeled as the latter) fulfilling series of penalty kicks in the gates by the referee's command. The ball flight path and its hitting in the gates depends on the tremor parameters values of the playing child at the moment, when the referee is giving permission to fulfill a penalty kick. The criteria for thresholds setting are analogous to the preceding plot. If there are two playing
97 children, then the game of two football teams is modeled with equal number of incomes for the players of the both teams to the penalty area of a rival with the following ball kick in the gates. The winner is a child, who in the most of cases could hold his tremor parameters' values lower, than that of the threshold at the moment of fulfilling a kick in the gates. Of course, other plots for computer bioadaptable toys can be suggested, where different psychophysiological parameters of a child are used to interpret one or another functional state.
4. A S Y S T E M A L G O R I T H M FOR A B i O A D A P T A B L E TOY
Step 1. Determination of threshold values X(to)~...X(to)j for physiological and/or psychophysiological parameters (x~...xj) of a child. Values are dependent of bioadaptable toy goal function - game as amusement for a child or as means for a child functional disorders correction. Step 2. Monitoring of x,...x, parameters directly during playing a game and their preliminary processing in real' time. Step 3. Automatic interpretation of a child's functional state or behaviour response (q~l...q~n) in real time based on the analysis of x~...x and X(to)~...X(to)j values. Step 4. Semantic biofeedback organization by means of automatic control of bioadaptable toy , (development of a plot, movement intensity, sound characteristics and etc.) depending on q~l...q~nvalues.
5. D I S C U S S I O N
The considered system algorithm and script for a computer toy realization by the child's tremor parameters allows to began studies and engineering (development of existing) games and toys for children. For instance, a functioning algorithm and a block diagram for a bioadaptable toy-doll have been developed oriented on hardware realization [8]. On the base of monitoring and analysis of interimpulse interval (11) of skin resistance response (SRR) such functional states, as ,,active game>,, ,,passive game>> and ,,relaxation state>> are automatically interpreted directly when the child is playing a game. Depending on the child's functional state at a specified time moment respectively one or other ,> of a toy-doll is generated. When interpreting functional state of a child as ,,active game>> dynamic characteristics of a toy-doll are also active. The toy-doll reproduces sound signals imitating the child's laugh or cry, simple combinations of syllables like <, does movements with ,,hands and feet>>. When interpreting functional state of a child as ,,passive game>> algorithm of a toy-doll < is the same as in ,,active game>>, but intense emotional irritators (like ,,laugh>>, ,,cry,>) are excluded and intensity of sound signals, send by the toy, decreases with simultaneous decrease of movement amplitude. When interpreting functional state of a child as ,,relaxation state,,, mechanical movements stop, except ,,closing eye-lids,> of a toy-doll, and sound signals of low intensity imitate a melody of lullaby. For instance, if the child wants to put a toy <
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sleep,,, the toy-doll will ,,fall asleep,, only in that case, if the child himself is in a state of relaxation, which is the last phase of a functional state of the child in transition to sleep, that promotes the child's falling asleep. If the child shows a behaviour activity the toy-doll will awake. As supposed, performance of new generation games and toys will be higher than of that now existing. Besides, they will allow purposeful formation of the child's new functional systems. Such functional systems are to develop self-regulation abilities and to raise the child's adaptive potentialities towards different environmental disturbances. One of the advantages of such approach application in clinical medicine for correction of one or other disorders will be habitualness of procedure for a child (game) that possibly will simplify explanation of the biofeedback method essence to the child and will create certain reasons. Such suppositions require conduction of experimental investigations.
6. C O N C L U S I O N S
The discussed results allow to state, that the principles for design of a new generation of children's toys - bioadaptable toys have been proposed, where a new biofeedback organization method of a higher hierarchical level (as compared with the known ones)is used. The main distinctive feature of the proposed method is biofeedback organization not in a conventional (classic) way by these or other psychophysiological parameters, but by a more integral argument - the interpreted ,,functional state,, and/or behaviour of a child. The new approach could be classified as a method for semantic biofeedback organization. It is supposed, that use of such organization method of biofeedback in medicine will increase therapeutic effect of medicament free correction of one or other disorder of children in comparison with applied today methods of biofeedback setting.
REFERENCES
1. 2.
3.
4.
C. Nishimura and J. Nagumo, Feedback Control of Arousal Using Skin Potential Level as an Index, J. Ergonomics, 6 (1985) 905. V.V. Savchenko, Methods and Means for Increasing the Efficiency of ,,MarlMachine,, Systems Operators' Activities (Problem of increasing efficiency of ,,man-machine,, systems operators' activities. Theoretical and experimental studies of operator's functional state), Pre-prints No 15, Minsk, Institute of Engineering Cybernetics (1992) 50. V.V. Savchenko, Methods and Means for Increasing the Efficiency of ,,ManMachine,, Systems Operators' Activities (Control of operator's vigilance level and check of relevant information perception. Algorithms for increasing efficiency of precision production operator's activities), Pre-prints No 16, Minsk, Institute of Engineering Cybernetics (1992) 46. P.V. Tarakanov, Skin Resistance Response of Children under School Age at Different Functional States, Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deiatelnosti, 5 (1982) 967.
99 5.
A.N. Brensted and Z.V. Denisova, Children's Skin Resistance Response Changes in the Process of Play, Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deiatelnosti, 1 (1971) 164.
6.
V.F. Konovalov and I.S. Serikov, Skin Resistance Response as Electrographical Correlate for Boys and Girls Memorize and Recognition of Verbal Information of Different Types, Fiziologia Cheloveka, 3 (1985) 421.
-7. T.D. Telegina and M.L. Pisarev, Change of Skin Resistance Response and Speech Parameters of Children under 8-9 During Playing a Game. Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deiatelnosti, 1 (1993) 23. 8. V.V. Savchenko and O.A. Semenov, Device for Estimation of Psychophysiological State of a Child, Positive Decision on Application for RF Patent No 4925-768/12 G 09 B 9/00, A 63 H 3/00(1992).
95
C o n c e p t i o n of b i o a d a p t a b l e c h i l d r e n ' s c o m p u t e r t o y s V. V. Savchenko Institute of Engineering Cybernetics, Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 6 Surganov Str., Minsk 220012, Republic of Belarus The paper considers algorithms for new generation of children's toys - bioadaptable toys. Basing on the analysis of physiological and/or psychophysiological parameters a functional state or behaviour response of a child are interpreted at a specified time moment, and depending on their values an adequate (corresponding to the set objective) control algorithm of a toy ,,behaviour,, is generated. The toy ,,behaviour,, is considered as a semantic biofeedback organization, and hence can be used for a functional state correction of a child.
1. I N T R O D U C T I O N
Biomedical Cybernetics, Ergonomics and Psychophysiology have obtained scientific results, which evidence, that principally it is possible to recognize some functional states of a man based on the analysis of his physiological and/or psychophysiological parameters [1-3]. Special investigations have been also carried out to reveal the children's psychophysiological parameters dynamics in different functional states and in the process of game [4-7]. A possibility of one or other children's functional states and behaviour response interpretation has been demonstrated on the basis of these parameters analysis. A method of biofeedback, set up by such parameters, allows to attain their purposeful change within specified limits using self-regulation, and thereby to control functional state of a man. Today three main ways are known and widely used for biofeedback setting up: visual, sound, tactile and combinations of them. In case, when we deal with a child, especially of an early age, the similar biofeedback organization methods oriented mainly on grown-ups can be insufficiently effective or non-perceptible by a child at all. In spite of the fact, that a biofeedback method is widely used in research work and applied medicine, the obtained results are sometimes contradictory. In most cases it is caused by impossibility to perform correct and adequate work modelling at operational level of a biofeedback method by well-known today mathematical tools and approaches. The application efficiency of this method is largly depends on that, to what extent an experimentalist clearly and exactly and just for this concrete subject, working with specific biofeedback method, has explained what and how the subject is to do in order to attain the desired results. Creation of reasons for successful performance of the experiment task by the subject is of no less importance.
96
2. THE MAIN IDEA Basing on the analysis of physiological and/or psychophysiological parameters a functional state or behaviour response of a child is interpreted at a specified time moment and, depending on the interpretation results, an adequate algorithm for a toy ,,behaviour~ control is generated.
3. EXAMPLE OF SIMPLE SCRIPTS FOR BIOADAPTABLE C O M P U T E R TOY REALIZATION BY C H I L D ' S T R E M O R P A R A M E T E R S A script is for children from three to five. By means of computer graphics the following animated plot is created and displayed on the monitor screen: a small lake rushy along the edges, the sun is shining, a fish is swimming in the lake, butterflies and dragon-flies are fluttering. On a large leaf of a water-lily, being on the water, a frog is sitting, showing with all its appearance, that it is not against having breakfast. Near the water-lily leaf there are cranes which are slightly rocking from a light breeze. On one of the crane leaves a grasshopper is sitting. The leaf is trembling with light puff of the breeze, and the grasshopper takes the risk to fall down straight on the frog. The frog is seeing that and ready to swallow the grasshopper at once if it will not hold itself on the crane leaf. The amplitude and frequency of the crane leaf vibrations on which the grasshopper is sitting depends on the child's hand tremor. The tremor parameters are read through an appropriate sensor and via a signal input device are sent into the computer, where in the monitoring mode the amplitude and tremor frequency values are calculated. On the calculated values base an amplitude and vibration frequency for the crane leaf with the sitting grasshopper are specified. During the game program loading into computer, in conversational mode thresholds for the tremor amplitude and frequency are set up. The criteria for thresholds setting up are defined by the game purpose. If this game is an amusement for a healthy child, thresholds are specified a little lower than the statistic-mean values of the child tremor parameters. In the process of the game the child seeks, that the grasshopper has not fallen down from the crane leaf and been swallowed by the frog. It will be managed only in that case if he will learn to hold the amplitude and tremor frequency of his hand lower, than that of thresholds. During the game a new functional system of the child is formed which promotes development of self-regulation skills. Acquiring of such habits is positive for the child and strengthens his protection functions. If it is a child with observed, for example, neurological disorder one of the symptoms of which is an increased tremor, then such a toy promotes correction of such disorders under obligatory coordination of methods and threshold values of the tremor parameters with the attending doctor. F o r elder children the animated plot may be as follows: on the monitor screen you can see a football field, gates, a goal-keeper, a referee and a rival player (in practice, a playing child is modeled as the latter) fulfilling series of penalty kicks in the gates by the referee's command. The ball flight path and its hitting in the gates depends on the tremor parameters values of the playing child at the moment, when the referee is giving permission to fulfill a penalty kick. The criteria for thresholds setting are analogous to the preceding plot. If there are two playing
97 children, then the game of two football teams is modeled with equal number of incomes for the players of the both teams to the penalty area of a rival with the following ball kick in the gates. The winner is a child, who in the most of cases could hold his tremor parameters' values lower, than that of the threshold at the moment of fulfilling a kick in the gates. Of course, other plots for computer bioadaptable toys can be suggested, where different psychophysiological parameters of a child are used to interpret one or another functional state.
4. A S Y S T E M A L G O R I T H M FOR A B i O A D A P T A B L E TOY
Step 1. Determination of threshold values X(to)~...X(to)j for physiological and/or psychophysiological parameters (x~...xj) of a child. Values are dependent of bioadaptable toy goal function - game as amusement for a child or as means for a child functional disorders correction. Step 2. Monitoring of x,...x, parameters directly during playing a game and their preliminary processing in real' time. Step 3. Automatic interpretation of a child's functional state or behaviour response (q~l...q~n) in real time based on the analysis of x~...x and X(to)~...X(to)j values. Step 4. Semantic biofeedback organization by means of automatic control of bioadaptable toy ,
5. D I S C U S S I O N
The considered system algorithm and script for a computer toy realization by the child's tremor parameters allows to began studies and engineering (development of existing) games and toys for children. For instance, a functioning algorithm and a block diagram for a bioadaptable toy-doll have been developed oriented on hardware realization [8]. On the base of monitoring and analysis of interimpulse interval (11) of skin resistance response (SRR) such functional states, as ,,active game>,, ,,passive game>> and ,,relaxation state>> are automatically interpreted directly when the child is playing a game. Depending on the child's functional state at a specified time moment respectively one or other ,
98
sleep,,, the toy-doll will ,,fall asleep,, only in that case, if the child himself is in a state of relaxation, which is the last phase of a functional state of the child in transition to sleep, that promotes the child's falling asleep. If the child shows a behaviour activity the toy-doll will awake. As supposed, performance of new generation games and toys will be higher than of that now existing. Besides, they will allow purposeful formation of the child's new functional systems. Such functional systems are to develop self-regulation abilities and to raise the child's adaptive potentialities towards different environmental disturbances. One of the advantages of such approach application in clinical medicine for correction of one or other disorders will be habitualness of procedure for a child (game) that possibly will simplify explanation of the biofeedback method essence to the child and will create certain reasons. Such suppositions require conduction of experimental investigations.
6. C O N C L U S I O N S
The discussed results allow to state, that the principles for design of a new generation of children's toys - bioadaptable toys have been proposed, where a new biofeedback organization method of a higher hierarchical level (as compared with the known ones)is used. The main distinctive feature of the proposed method is biofeedback organization not in a conventional (classic) way by these or other psychophysiological parameters, but by a more integral argument - the interpreted ,,functional state,, and/or behaviour of a child. The new approach could be classified as a method for semantic biofeedback organization. It is supposed, that use of such organization method of biofeedback in medicine will increase therapeutic effect of medicament free correction of one or other disorder of children in comparison with applied today methods of biofeedback setting.
REFERENCES
1. 2.
3.
4.
C. Nishimura and J. Nagumo, Feedback Control of Arousal Using Skin Potential Level as an Index, J. Ergonomics, 6 (1985) 905. V.V. Savchenko, Methods and Means for Increasing the Efficiency of ,,MarlMachine,, Systems Operators' Activities (Problem of increasing efficiency of ,,man-machine,, systems operators' activities. Theoretical and experimental studies of operator's functional state), Pre-prints No 15, Minsk, Institute of Engineering Cybernetics (1992) 50. V.V. Savchenko, Methods and Means for Increasing the Efficiency of ,,ManMachine,, Systems Operators' Activities (Control of operator's vigilance level and check of relevant information perception. Algorithms for increasing efficiency of precision production operator's activities), Pre-prints No 16, Minsk, Institute of Engineering Cybernetics (1992) 46. P.V. Tarakanov, Skin Resistance Response of Children under School Age at Different Functional States, Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deiatelnosti, 5 (1982) 967.
99 5.
A.N. Brensted and Z.V. Denisova, Children's Skin Resistance Response Changes in the Process of Play, Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deiatelnosti, 1 (1971) 164.
6.
V.F. Konovalov and I.S. Serikov, Skin Resistance Response as Electrographical Correlate for Boys and Girls Memorize and Recognition of Verbal Information of Different Types, Fiziologia Cheloveka, 3 (1985) 421.
-7. T.D. Telegina and M.L. Pisarev, Change of Skin Resistance Response and Speech Parameters of Children under 8-9 During Playing a Game. Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deiatelnosti, 1 (1993) 23. 8. V.V. Savchenko and O.A. Semenov, Device for Estimation of Psychophysiological State of a Child, Positive Decision on Application for RF Patent No 4925-768/12 G 09 B 9/00, A 63 H 3/00(1992).