Creating haptic robot arm training simulator content to develop fine motor skills

The aim of this thesis is to create and examine a haptic robot arm education simulator by using simulation systems, which is an important study area of informatics and engineering systems, in order to contribute to the development of fine motor skills of individuals whose fine motor skills are not developed in early childhood. In today's world, the development and education of individuals starting from childhood is an important issue that needs to be emphasized. Numerous studies have demonstrated that providing appropriate education from an early age contributes to the development of lifelong healthy, active, and happy individuals. One of the areas of development is motor development, which can be categorized into gross motor skills and fine motor skills. In our study, we will focus on fine motor skills as the motor development area of interest. There is a need to develop and utilize new tools and resources for individuals who have underdeveloped or delayed fine motor skills in order to support their development. Advancements in information technology and simulation systems have been widely adopted in various educational fields. These innovations make education more interactive, beneficial, and enjoyable. Simulation systems created using Haptic arms offer an educational method where students can gain experiential learning in situations that reflect real-life conditions without taking the risks associated with those situations. Haptic arms and simulation systems are utilized in many areas of education, and their use in the education of individuals with underdeveloped fine motor skills would be highly beneficial. In this study, a haptic robot arm training simulator was created by using scenarios to contribute to the development of fine motor skills of individualswhose fine motor skills were not developed.With this study, it has been shown how game-based simulations, prepared based on scenarios suitable for educational programs, can contribute to the development of fine motor skills and learning with fun of individuals viii whose fine motor skills have not developed at every stage of life, starting from childhood. Keywords: Educational Game, Fine Motor Skills, Haptic Arm, Virtual Reality