Pukyong National University

PKNU Students Made SW for Cognitive Development
- Game for children won the 2016 IBWA ICT Mentoring Prize

△ (from the left to the right) Cha Tae-hwan, Kim Mun-jeong, Geum Jae-eun, Won Jae-hui, Park Ji-won

PKNU students developed game software using 3D gesture recognition sensor to improve the cognitive ability of children.

This, called “AIJAEMISSEO,” was developed by Cha Tae-hwan (26), Geum Jae-eun (22), Kim Mun-jeong (21), Won Jae-hui (21) and Park Ji-won (21) of the Division of Systems Management and Engineering.

Running this application software, Leap Motion sensor, linked to a computer, tracks child’s hand gesture with 3D imaging, and shows it on a monitor to play games.

In Playing the Xylophone, one of the programs, child moves the hands on the Leap Motion sensor as if playing the actual xylophone, and virtual hands appearing on the monitor mock the gesture and make sounds.

The games are closely related to the children’s experience in the daily lives, such as Playing Animal Cards, Cleaning up Toys, Waste Sorting, and Keeping Shoes in Order. Child can select the difficulty level based on age group.

 “We got this idea from the connection between active hand movement and sensory and brain development. It makes children enjoy different games using their hands,” Geum Jae-eun explained.

The software won the first prize at the 9th IBWA ICT Mentoring, hosted by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) and run by the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) and the Korea IT Business Women’s Association (KIBWA), among 45 competing teams across the country.

The competition is a cooperative project working with mentors, and the students were directed by Professor Ock Young-seok of the Division of Systems Management and Engineering. Professor Hwang Hee Sook of the Department of Early Childhood Education provided advice on child’s developmental stage and play, and CEO of SOFTMOTI Kim Mi-kyung on software design.  <Pukyong Today>