FaceMe: An agent-based social game using augmented reality for the emotional development of children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience impaired emotional development, which severely affects their social communication. Although some assistive technologies are effective in helping children with ASD to improve their social skills, they are generally considered to be unable to engage children in real-world social situations. This paper presents “FaceMe,” which is a virtual agent social game based on an augmented reality (AR) technology that supports children's emotional development. FaceMe uses a virtual agent, a set of tangible toolkits, and multilevel game mechanics to teach children about basic facial expressions in social scenarios and improve their emotional and communication skills. Empirical results show that the FaceMe virtual agent evoked active social behaviors in children with ASD who subsequently improved their ability to understand facial expressions. The FaceMe design guidelines for creating the virtual agent in the context of AR are presented, which opens up an interesting domain for future games using AR to support children's learning.