Software to Support the Development of Metric and Spatial Thinking Implemented on a Robotic Platform

Metric and spatial thinking are inherent abilities for understanding magnitudes, measurements, and mental habits that lead to problem solving. These abilities must be strengthened at an early age. Poor development of these skills could have negative effects on other cognitive processes associated with quantitative reasoning, logic, and communication. In Colombia, specifically in the Cundinamarca and Boyacá regions, it has been shown that around 60 % of preschool-aged children have difficulties understanding these concepts. Therefore, the implementation of strategies involving educational software could
contribute to minimizing this issue. This paper presents the design and implementation of custom software for a differential robotic platform aimed at reinforcing the development of metric and spatial thinking in preschool children. The tool integrates voice processing and Quick Response (QR) code reading so that users can guide the robot using verbal commands articulated through a
dynamic HMI interface. Python 3.13 was used under the objectoriented
programming paradigm and a Model View Controller architecture to ensure modularity and scalability. The evaluation consisted of three experiments with four-year-old girls in a noisy environment, where the success rate in recognizing the commands “forward,” “backward,” “left,” and “right” was measured. The
results showed success rates of 82.2 %, 84.4 %, 78.9 %, and 80.0 %, respectively, with an average of 18.6 % of commands not recognized and a sustained improvement throughout the repetitions attributable to the users' familiarization. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness and potential of the tool as a playful virtual learning object for strengthening metric and spatial skills in preschoolers.