An augmented reality application 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 they can see the connection between real image and pictogram in real time.

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

The project manager, Gerardo Herrera, has explained to Efe how people who have used the application “They understand it right away and find the experience fun. Besides, We have noticed how its use improves error intolerance in 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 you understand the meaning of these types of drawings, which are so important for people with autism to communicate.

More than 40 video games

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

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

The blocks “Communication” e “Imitation” They will also be downloadable soon, with others 40 video games that seek to contribute to improving the daily lives of people with autism.

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