An ARSandplay System for People with Down Syndrome

In general, people with Down syndrome have cognitive limitations and motor difficulties that may compromise the individual's development throughout life. That situation is due to the genetic condition that imposes peculiarities, such as low muscle tone and difficulty in learning, making it difficult to understand and interact with and around the environment. However, the use of new technologies proves to be a promising route because it offers new stimuli that can be used as reinforcers in rehabilitation, training, and entertainment activities. This work describes the development and evaluation of a computational system with a tangible interface, called 3D Sandplay. This system offers a sand box, which enables user interaction with the virtual world, amplified by Augmented Reality, for creating scenarios and understanding abstract concepts. A group of people with Down syndrome evaluated 3d Sandplay in three distinct activities. Also, the interest, attention, and resistance to the execution of the activities were assessed. Results have shown that 3D Sandplay is a tool that can contribute to the cognitive and motor development of children, adolescents, and adults with Down syndrome.