Augmented Reality App Helps Treat People With Autism

The Pictogram Room is a project that aims to create an educational tool for people with autism based on augmented reality technologies. It is designed to teach people with autism spectrum disorders to understand pictograms, that with the help of augmented reality can see the connection between real image and pictogram in real time.

A set of video games that use augmented reality as their main tool make up the essence of “Pictogram Room” (The room of the pictograms), A tool specifically developed to help people with autism improve their competence in aspects such as communication. After more than three years of work as a result of the collaboration between the Autism and Learning Difficulties Group of the Institute of Robotics of the University of Valencia and the Orange Foundation, This tool has been presented, that have already been used by about thirty autistic children and adults, with favorable results.

The project manager, Gerardo Herrera, he explained to Efe how people who have used the application “They understand it right away and find the experience funny. In addition, We have noticed how its use improves the intolerance to error of people with autism”.

Thanks to the Kinect motion sensor, The program reproduces the child's movements on a screen, which is represented in the form of a pictogram, which helps him to understand the meaning of this type of drawings so important for people with autism to be able to communicate.

More than 40 Video games

The blocks on the concept of “Body” and the “Positions”, with a total of 40 Video games, They can now be downloaded for free through the Pictogramas.org, where you can also consult a guide for use for parents and pedagogues, what, according to Herrera, They can use this program as a booster or reward.

Manuel Jimeno, CEO of the Orange Foundation, He stressed the need to reinforce concepts such as awareness of one's own body in people with autism, who can learn in an enjoyable way thanks to “Pictogram Room”. “The objective pursued by the application is very ambitious: we seek to break down barriers so that they understand abstract issues, that improve their communication and delve into the meaning of the pictograms”, Reviewed.

The blocks “Communication” and “Imitation” will also be available for download soon, with others 40 Video games that seek to contribute to improving the day-to-day life of people with autism.

[YouTube]HTTP://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NZOwLm0OQw[/YouTube]

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