Immersive Learning Support System based on Kinect Sensor for Children to Learn About Paleontological Environments

This paper proposes a simulation-based environmental learning support system, based on Kinect sensors, which is currently under development. Our system animates paleontological animals and their habitats on a display in synchronization with learners’ actions, immersing learners in a real- life paleontological environment. We evaluated the system by recording real-time measurements of learners’ movements, and controlled the animation based on sensor output. Participants were subsequently interviewed to assess their sense of immersion. The system was found to provide a nearreal experience of a defunct environment and the results confirmed that learners felt a sense of immersion and experienced an enhanced interest.