IoT-based toy to support the learning of people with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

The population with disabilities continues to increase and with it the need to have tools that are useful to support the learning processes that lead to their proper development on a day-to-day basis. ICT can make a significant contribution, but it is necessary to have more and new proposals. For this reason, this work proposes the possibility of using devices based on the Internet of Things  (IoT) as a tool to support the learning of daily actions of people with intellectual disabilities (PID). This idea is carried out with a playful approach; that is, the devices are actually considered toys that aim to combine entertainment with learning. To analyze the proposal, three toys were designed with the idea of learning to identify money, use traffic lights, and compete with another person. In addition, a web application was built that allows the professional in charge of PID to have a record and reports to make the pertinent adjustments. All system components were subjected to an accessibility and usability evaluation, respectively. Favorable results were obtained suggesting that toys, as IoT devices, are a viable option to support PID.