John Franchak, associate professor of psychology at the UC Riverside along with collaborators at USC and University of Georgia, are gearing up to research how infants develop motor skills in their everyday environments. The study will utilize wearable sensors and AI.
The study will use AI to automatically track and quantify the types and amounts of movement that seven-month-old and nine-month-old infants engage in, such as sitting, crawling, and standing, within their home environments. It will also examine caregiving practices to determine how parents influence the opportunities infants have for physical activity. The study’s goal is to understand how daily routines and caregiver behavior influence the pace and success of infant motor development.