Object-based Interactive Nutrition Education
Project Overview
Children worldwide have poor diets and a limited understanding of nutrition, often categorising food into simplistic "healthy" and "not-healthy" groups rather than grasping deeper concepts of variety and balance. This project examines how an interactive, object-based food ordering interface could educate primary school children aged 9 to 11 about making improved dietary selections. Building on the earlier PizzaBox tangible user interface platform, the research team designed and created multiple prototypes that use physical food objects, Arduino microcontrollers, and 3D-printed components to deliver playful, hands-on nutrition education experiences. Designs were produced with guidance from a community dietitian and a nutrition specialist to ensure pedagogical accuracy. The interactive system encourages children to explore balanced meal composition through tangible food-ordering activities rather than conventional screen-based instruction.
The project emphasises hands-on, tangible interaction as an alternative to screen-based learning. By manipulating physical food objects on the interactive platform, children engage directly with concepts of meal composition, portion balance, and dietary variety in a manner that is both intuitive and engaging for the target age group.
User studies and co-design workshops with primary school children were planned but postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Future work will evaluate the experience with children once classroom studies resume, assessing both engagement and nutritional understanding outcomes. The project contributes to the growing body of research on tangible interfaces for health education in school settings.
Team
