Educational Applications of an Enhanced Augmented Reality Sandbox

Conference Year

January 2019

Abstract

Augmented Reality (AR) Sandboxes provide an interactive and dynamic educational tool for demonstrating concepts of watershed hydrology and surface topography that students often find challenging to visualize. Consisting of a video projector, Xbox Kinect sensor, and open-source software developed as a result of an NSF-funded project led by the University of California at Davis W.M. Keck Center, an AR Sandbox projects a digitally colored topographic map onto a sand model’s surface that adjusts in real-time with user interplay. Most actively utilized by museums and introductory geoscience classes, users can alter the sand model’s topography and simulate rain clouds through hand gestures to more effectively grasp three-dimensional depictions of landform hydro-geologic interactions. At the University of Vermont (UVM), the AR Sandbox has been modified to include digital visualization of the Sandbox’s bathymetry, the ability to toggle between additional ‘weather’ types (e.g. snow, lava, and polluted water) via keyboard shortcuts, and more control of rain cloud placement through global (flooding and draining) and local (mouse directed) water tools. Additionally, the development of 3D printed molds from aerial LiDAR survey data allows for quick replication of topography in the sand, providing greater comprehension of site-specific hydrologic processes. These AR Sandbox alterations enable students in an Applied River Engineering course at UVM to understand topographic map construction, identify watershed drainage patterns, and analyze impacts of storm events on regional topography.

Primary Faculty Mentor Name

Mandar Dewoolkar

Secondary Mentor Name

Kristen Underwood

Faculty/Staff Collaborators

Kristin Underwood (collaborating mentor), Donna Rizzo (collaborating mentor), Scott Hamshaw (collaborating mentor), Luis Garcia (collaborating mentor)

Status

Undergraduate

Student College

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences

Program/Major

Environmental Engineering

Primary Research Category

Engineering & Physical Sciences

Abstract only.

Share

COinS
 

Educational Applications of an Enhanced Augmented Reality Sandbox

Augmented Reality (AR) Sandboxes provide an interactive and dynamic educational tool for demonstrating concepts of watershed hydrology and surface topography that students often find challenging to visualize. Consisting of a video projector, Xbox Kinect sensor, and open-source software developed as a result of an NSF-funded project led by the University of California at Davis W.M. Keck Center, an AR Sandbox projects a digitally colored topographic map onto a sand model’s surface that adjusts in real-time with user interplay. Most actively utilized by museums and introductory geoscience classes, users can alter the sand model’s topography and simulate rain clouds through hand gestures to more effectively grasp three-dimensional depictions of landform hydro-geologic interactions. At the University of Vermont (UVM), the AR Sandbox has been modified to include digital visualization of the Sandbox’s bathymetry, the ability to toggle between additional ‘weather’ types (e.g. snow, lava, and polluted water) via keyboard shortcuts, and more control of rain cloud placement through global (flooding and draining) and local (mouse directed) water tools. Additionally, the development of 3D printed molds from aerial LiDAR survey data allows for quick replication of topography in the sand, providing greater comprehension of site-specific hydrologic processes. These AR Sandbox alterations enable students in an Applied River Engineering course at UVM to understand topographic map construction, identify watershed drainage patterns, and analyze impacts of storm events on regional topography.