Augmented Reality as a gateway to inclusion:
Complete Guide to the Project Delightex and Cube MERGE
In this post on the Sacosta.Cat website, we would like to highlight a project carried out during the 2025/26 academic year with the help of Augmented Reality. The programmes used were Delightex and Merge Cube. To enable others to replicate this experience, we have designed a short ‘handbook’ containing examples of the activities used, so that anyone interested can try it out for themselves. It’s not difficult; it’s simple and presented in a way that we believe will be easy to follow.
Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that allows the real physical environment to be combined with virtual elements, creating a mixed reality in real time. At Sacosta.cat, we promote the use of this technology not only as a teaching tool, but also as a key ally in the inclusion of children with functional diversity. This project aims to transform learning through ‘surprise’ and multisensory interaction.
1. Project Objectives
The main aim is to put technology at the service of inclusive education. The key points are:
- To facilitate learning and interaction by superimposing digital elements onto the real world.
- To foster motivation and enable each pupil to learn at their own pace.
- To introduce the element of ‘surprise’, which is key to capturing the attention of pupils with cognitive disabilities.
- To make technology more accessible in classrooms with limited resources.
2. Methodology
The project is based on active and hands-on learning. The pupil is not merely a passive recipient, but interacts with a physical object (the cube) that ‘comes to life’ on the screen. Many of the activities presented are designed so that the visual elements follow one another in sequence, allowing for a contemplative and educational experience without the need for complex interactivity, and thus adapting to different cognitive levels.
3. MERGE Cube: Your Virtual Portal
The MERGE Cube is a cube with asymmetrical patterns on each face that acts as a marker for AR applications.
Link
Step-by-step creation process:
To ensure a satisfying experience, it is vital to build a sturdy cube.
- Print the template: We recommend printing it on A4 paper or card.
- Reinforce the material: It is highly advisable to stick the printout onto a thicker material, such as pizza box cardboard, to make it sturdier.
- Cutting out and marking: Cut along the outline, following the tabs. Before gluing, mark the forward and backward folds clearly to make assembly easier.
- Gluing: Apply glue to the tabs and join the sides together to form the cube.
4. Ús de les Apps: Delightex Edu
The main app for these activities is Delightex Edu (formerly known as CoSpaces Edu).
- How it works: Once you’ve opened the app, select the option “Enter or scan a code…” at the bottom.
- Scanning: Point the camera at the activity’s QR code. Once it has loaded, tap “Play”.
- Synchronisation: You need to align the outline of the cube that appears on the screen with your physical cube to activate augmented reality.
5. Available Resources and Activities
Booklet with instructions, QR codes and links
Below is a list of direct resources designed for use with the MERGE Cube or in 360° format:
Activities using the MERGE cube (the physical cube is required):
- Unnamed Animals: Activity link
- Animals (Escola Can Vila): Activity link
- Dinosaurs (RA): Activity lint
- 7 Dinosaurs with sounds and music: Activity link
- Jobs: Activity link
- PolyPizza (3D Models ): Enllaç activitat
- Monsters and little fish: Monsters| Fish
360° Spaces (No need to click – just use your fingers):
- Tale «La Blanca i el país del blanc»: Versió estàndard | Amb Pictogrames per a EE
- SeaBed: Enllaç activitat
- Environement AI: Vilatzara Environment | A walk through the woods
6. Impact on Special Education
This project has its roots in a strong commitment to Special Educational Centres. RA is particularly effective in this setting for a number of reasons:
- Visual and pictographic support: We have adapted stories such as ‘La Blanca’ using pictograms, making reading comprehension and communication easier.
- Multisensory stimuli: The combination of 3D movement, sounds and music (as in the dinosaur project) provides a rich experience that benefits pupils with different sensory needs.
- True inclusion: It enables pupils with cognitive disabilities to take part in high-impact visual technology activities, which are often reserved for mainstream education, thereby breaking down barriers to access.
- Experiences in safe environments: Projects carried out in specialist units, such as Vall d’Hebron, demonstrate that AR can bring the outside world to children with reduced mobility or who are isolated.ent.
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