Malaysia’s space agency builds wearable for autistic children

Malaysia’s National Space Agency has built a wearable device and an app to help parents monitor the movements of autistic children.

"Autistic children can wear the device, which comes in the form of a wrist-watch, and the parents can locate their children at any time using the application in their smart phones,” said Datuk Dr Mohd Azhar Yahaya, Deputy Secretary-General for Policy, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI).

Parents will be alerted if their children move out of a set boundary, he added. The device is targeted towards autistic children who are hyperactive and have a tendency to wander, the National Space Agency stated.

The Permata Track Autism System tracks movements through GPS, and is funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Malaysia’s National Space Agency was established under MOSTI in 2002.

It manages satellite communications and geospatial systems. It is also in charge of the country’s planetarium and the National Observatory for astronomical researchers.