Senti : a wearable sensor for physiological data acquisition in early education

Abstract

Wearable sensors have been used in research efforts aiming to develop a mapping between physiological responses of the autonomic nervous system, namely electrodermal activity and heart rate variability, to emotional reactions such as arousal, stress, and attention. While many studies conducted with existing sensors have focused primarily on adults, some have recently begun utilizing them to characterize cognitive and social processes in children. As research in early childhood development continues, a physiological sensor tailored for data acquisition in early education environments, where children spend much of their time socializing and learning, will prove especially valuable for advancing further studies in the field. In this thesis, I present the design and implementation of a compact and lightweight wristband monitor for children, that unobtrusively tracks a set of vital signs that are known to demonstrate sympathetic and parasympathetic responses in the general population. The finalized system is evaluated for data quality and ease of analysis by applying signal processing methods on data collected over a two-week period at a Montessori preschool, where children continuously wore the device each day while engaging in various lesson activities and social interactions.