Lukumi Noon Sleep Check, which watches over naps with the 'peace of mind of human and IT eyes'

Key points of this product

MONITORING CHILDREN WHILE THEY SLEEP TO PREVENT SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME (SIDS)
The applications used to operate and check data on tablet devices are updated regularly, and their usability is improving every day.
The system has already been installed in more than 300 nursery schools across Japan and is watching over 3,000 children take their naps.

The number of BabyTech products on the market in Japan is still limited, but one of the most popular products is the "Lukumi No Sleep Check" by UNIFA Corporation. This product uses a sensor and a tablet device to monitor the condition of children during naptime, and automatically records their body orientation. In August 2018, about four months after the product's launch on April 1, 2018, the BabyTech editorial team visited Unifa Corporation, the company that developed and launched the product, to learn about its features and future development.

We spoke with...
Unifa Corporation
Mr. Shin Imamura, Marketing Section
Ms. Miho Kobayashi, Public Relations
From left to right: Mr. Kobayashi, Mr. Imamura (honorifics omitted)

In order to protect children's lives and further improve the quality of childcare.

Editor:Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule today. I understand that the "Lukumi Noonasumi Check" is a sensor that monitors the condition of children while they are sleeping and alerts them if there is any abnormality.

Imamura: In Japan, there are about 100 cases of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), or children dying while asleep, each year. One of our goals in developing this product was to prevent this from happening. We started by trying to improve our knowledge of the product at daycare centers by having daycare professionals use it.

ANOTHER PURPOSE OF THE DEVELOPMENT WAS TO LIGHTEN THE WORKLOAD OF NURSERY SCHOOL NURSES, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN CHARGE OF CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 0 AND 1, DURING NAP TIME. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO CHECK AND RECORD THE DIRECTION OF THE CHILD'S BODY WHILE SLEEPING EVERY FIVE MINUTES, AND IF THE CHILD IS LYING ON HIS OR HER BACK, WHICH HAS A HIGH RISK OF SIDS, THE CHILD MUST BE TURNED ONTO HIS OR HER BACK. ANOTHER IMPETUS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PRODUCT WAS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CHILDCARE BY STREAMLINING THESE MONITORING AND RECORDING TASKS AND, IN TURN, REDUCING THE MENTAL BURDEN ON CHILDCARE STAFF.