Development of Tangible Interfaces for Cognitive Development

Abstract

This chapter presents the development of a low-cost tangible interface to enhance children's learning through collaborative storytelling, using a set of movable blocks, with a high degree of autonomy and the ability to exchange information with each other. Taking into account the context of the existing game model and on the basis of which this study was developed, the function of these removable blocks is to allow children to create and recreate their own narratives in permanent interaction by manipulating the physical blocks, which trigger the associated virtual representations (characters, e.g., animals, objects, locations, or others). It is expected that children will be able to project these representations on a screen through the activation and manipulation of the physical blocks by adding, removing, moving the blocks while interacting with each other and creating narratives. The authors have attempted to apply a method that could present a new approach to the educational gaming industry.