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WhitepaperEindhoven University of Technology3 Nov 2026

Play Beyond Vision: Children's Embodied Strategies in Non-Visual Extended Reality

Key insights

7 takeaways

01
Non-visual Extended Reality (XR) experiences rely on multimodal cues—such as spatial audio and haptic feedback—to enable children to successfully navigate and interact with digital content without visual representations.See it on page 2
02
When feedback cues become ambiguous or inconsistent, children's engagement becomes fragile, often leading to immediate hesitation, frustration, or a breakdown in the 'interaction contract' between the user and the system.See it on page 24
03
Multimodal feedback is essential for sense-making in non-visual environments, as it provides clear, immediate confirmation that a user's physical actions have been registered by the system.See it on page 25
04
Children often adopt 'modality mastery' strategies, where they rely heavily on a single effective cue (such as an auditory radar) and may become reluctant to experiment with other interaction methods once they achieve success.See it on page 19
05
In non-visual XR, interaction roles can shift dynamically; if proximity-based cues are unclear, the system or the 'ghost' may take the lead by issuing explicit instructions, forcing the child into a reactive rather than proactive role.See it on page 26
06
Designers of non-visual XR for children should prioritize familiar interaction models and avoid overly novel mechanics to keep the cognitive threshold low and ensure the experience remains intuitive.See it on page 27
07
Non-visual XR should be designed to augment the immediate physical environment rather than replace it, as this supports co-present social play and allows children to use their physical surroundings to anchor their digital interactions.See it on page 27

Summary

Play Beyond Vision: Children's Embodied Strategies in JULES VAN GURP∗, Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands GIULIA COSENTINO∗, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway ISABELLA POSSAGHI, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway NOAH TEGLVANG SEJER IVERSEN, Aarhus University, Denmark and Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway MICHAIL GIANNAKOS, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway PANOS MARKOPOULOS, Eindhoven University of T...

Play Beyond Vision: Children's Embodied Strategies in Non-Visual Extended Reality

Play Beyond Vision: Children's Embodied Strategies in Non-Visual Extended Reality

Key insights

Summary

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