Google appears to be working on an artificial intelligence system that could make its way to cribs and track babies' movements.
AI-Powered Baby Monitor
A patent application the search engine company filed last year and published on Sept. 5 suggests that Google is researching technology that can track a baby's eyes, movements and sounds using "intelligent" video and audio.
The cloud-based system could lead to the development of a smarter baby monitor that can notify parents or caregivers on their device if the baby exhibits signs of unusual behavior, or allow them to track what the baby is currently doing.
Using "eye state analysis," which involves detecting the eye pupils, irises and whites of the eye, the system can determine if the baby is awake or asleep, the application says.
Position detection also indicates if the child is kneeling, standing, lying down, walking, climbing, crawling, or in some other forms of stationary or moving position.
"If the baby is continually tossing and turning, the baby may be in some form of discomfort, such as being too hot or too cold," the application reads, according to CNBC.
Baby Tech And Smart Homes
Google may or may not translate the idea into products. The company files hundreds of patent applications each year and many never come into fruition. The company, however, has been increasingly interested in baby tech and smart homes.
If the patent materializes, it would likely be an expansion of Google Nest. Earlier this year, the search engine company announced that it would consolidate Nest and Google Home products under the smart home brand Google Nest, which include security cameras, alarm systems, and thermostats.
William Greene, who co-authored several Google patents related to connected devices, and Michael Dixon, an algorithm software design engineer at Nest, were listed as the inventors in the patent application.
