Baby monitors have come a long way. Where once parents were alerted to their baby’s cries by a radio-like crackle, today’s designs incorporate everything from video and motion sensors to temperature gauges.
Now Google is considering technology that could use artificial intelligence to keep your child safe.
The internet search giant has worked on a product that promises to warn parents before their little one has even woken up.
The device would aim to determine when the baby is “in a non-auditory discomfort state” and inform caregivers up to 10 minutes ahead of them waking, according to a patent application filed by Google in the United States.
According to the document, which was lodged last year but has only just been made public, eye-tracking technology would detect when a baby is awake, asleep or close to stirring.
Using video streaming, audio recordings and AI, the device would monitor the baby’s behavior against a database of normal patterns.
Based on the infant’s movements and any noise it makes, it would detect anything out of character and subsequently issue an alert if the baby appears uncomfortable.
It would also take into account the baby’s position, whether he or she is lying down, kneeling, standing up or otherwise.
An alert could be issued before the baby cries or even wakes up, according to the patent, which was first reported by CNBC.