Applying augmented reality to assisting children in solving Tangram puzzle

This paper presents an augmented reality supported Tangram game system, named ARTangram. The ARTangram system allows children to use physical Tangram pieces to solve Tangram puzzles, detects children solving status by recognizing the locations of the pieces, and dynamically provides children with digital augmented outputs, including information, feedbacks, and prompts, to assist children in solving Tangram puzzles. The digital augmented information includes game progress, elapsed time, a shadow outline of the specific shape, and colored shapes to indicate correctly-placed pieces. The prompts include text information to inform of the piece to place, audio hints to imply the correct location of the piece, and visual shape hints upon the correct location of the piece. An evaluation was conducted to ask 20 kindergarten children to use Tangram puzzles to form a house shape with the assistance of the ARTangram system. The results reveal that children might encounter difficulties in solving Tangram puzzle and the ARTangram system helped children correctly place pieces when they encountered difficulties.