StreetScape: Gamified Tactile Interactions for Collaborative Learning and Play

TL;DR

Problem: there is a need for inclusive, collaborative spatial learning tools for BVI children. Approach: StreetScape—a tactile street puzzle with modular magnets and a $5×5$ grid enables co-creation and exploration by BVI and sighted children. Contributions: modular, magnet-enabled tiles; two iterative prototypes; emphasis on interdependence and inclusive design; discussion of future extensions such as textures and multisensory feedback. Impact: demonstrates a scalable platform that merges learning, creativity, and inclusivity, potentially bridging educational and social gaps for children with and without visual impairments.

Abstract

Spatial reasoning and collaboration are essential for childhood development, yet blind and visually impaired (BVI) children often lack access to tools that foster these skills. Tactile maps and assistive technologies primarily focus on individual navigation, overlooking the need for playful, inclusive, and collaborative interactions. We address this with StreetScape, a tactile street puzzle that enhances spatial skills and interdependence between BVI and sighted children. Featuring modular 3D-printed tiles, tactile roadways, and customizable decorative elements, StreetScape allows users to construct and explore cityscapes through gamified tactile interaction. Developed through an iterative design process, it integrates dynamic assembly and tactile markers for intuitive navigation, promoting spatial learning and fostering meaningful social connections. This work advances accessible design by demonstrating how tactile tools can effectively bridge educational and social gaps through collaborative play, redefining assistive technologies for children as a scalable platform that merges learning, creativity, and inclusivity.

Figures (5)

• Figure 1: Freeform map made of slotted tiles that serves as the base for the tactile puzzle.
• Figure 2: Overview of the different types of street tiles and decorative elements used in the system. The street tiles include straight roads, curved roads, and intersections, each featuring embedded magnet slots for easy attachment and modular reconfiguration. The tiles also incorporate different peg shapes—square pegs for stoplights and circular pegs for streetlamps—to facilitate tactile differentiation. Additional decorative tiles represent key urban structures, such as houses, a police station, a restaurant, and a school, along with freestanding streetlamps and stoplights to enhance engagement and spatial understanding.
• Figure 3: Details of the tile road tiles with slotted mechanisms
• Figure 4: Prototype 1 featuring the sliding slot mechanism, demonstrating how the tiles enhance tactile exploration.
• Figure 5: Close-up of the embedded magnetic mechanisms used in Prototype 2 to facilitate easier and dynamic assembly of the puzzle pieces.