Designing an AR mealtime experience for young children

Introduction

This thesis project proposes a novel BIT (Behavioral Intervention Technology) solution with an interactive, fun, engaging, and game-like platform for children ages 2 to 6. The proposed platform combines an educational digital experience with a physical product to help young children overcome eating challenges and build healthy habits for life.

Design Methodology

The project followed a Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver framework across research, ideation, prototyping, and MVP delivery.

• Discover — Literature review, field research
• Define — 3D character selection, physical and digital experience ideation, workflow mapping
• Develop — Wireframes, high-fidelity prototype, branding
• Deliver — MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

Design and Development Tools

• Figma
• Miro
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe After Effects
• HTML & CSS
• Vuforia
• Unity
• Xcode

Deliver Phase

The deliver phase focused on translating research and prototypes into a working MVP that combined physical triggers, AR interactions, and a child-friendly iOS application.

3D Character Selection

FunBytes character in this MVP is a green friend named “Dino” — a little dinosaur baby that talks about food and the benefits of healthy diets. Dino aims to establish a personal connection between the child and their meal using fun, game-based storytelling and 3D AR movements.

The physical bowl placemat includes two different postures of Dino. Each posture is used as a trigger in the application and activates two different actions. When the first Dino at the bottom of the bowl is detected, pre-recorded opening dialogues play as Dino introduces himself and indirectly describes the benefits of eating healthy choices.

To reward positive behavior, a confetti theme plays once the child finishes the food in the bowl. A second Dino trigger at the bottom of the bowl signals that the meal is complete and triggers the celebration animation.

Physical Experience

FunBytes includes a customized physical bowl placemat designed for growing babies and toddlers. The placemat is BPA free, microwave and dishwasher safe, and melamine free.

A Dino character is printed on the placemat and the bottom of the bowl. The design has a strong grip to the table, allowing the child to eat at ease, while the interactive AR application makes mealtime more fun and engaging.

iOS Application Design

FunBytes was designed in Figma for iPhone screen sizes for children ages 2 to 6. Designed screens integrated into the developed application phase with a focus on simplicity so children would not be overwhelmed with information.

The child-friendly UI focuses on one action at a time per screen. Three pages provide access to the main feature of the application — the Augmented Reality environment. Although the MVP was developed for iOS phone screen size, future versions were planned for tablet platforms where children are more comfortable using larger digital screens.

iOS Application Development

The iOS application was built in Xcode, importing 3D characters, triggers, and movements designed in Unity and Vuforia as a Unity package. An Apple Developer account was created to prepare the application for distribution.

After importing the Unity package into Xcode, AR image detection was tested and both images and functions worked successfully on iPhone. TestFlight was used to provide access to users for testing the application.

Final Outcome

FunBytes delivers a new perspective on presenting food for children ages 2 to 6 through a combined physical and digital experience. The physical bowl placemat uses printed cartoon characters, while the digital experience uses Augmented Reality to bring those characters to life — moving, talking, and encouraging healthy eating habits.