Augmented Reality Sandbox:

a platform for educative experiences

Sergio lvarez Laura Delgado Camilo Ruz

seralsa@usal.es laura@usal.es camilo@usal.es

M. ngel Gimeno Teresa Martn Fernando Almaraz

gimeno@usal.es teresam@usal.es falmaraz@usal.es

seralsa@usal.eslaura@usal.escamilo@usal.esgimeno@usal.esteresam@usal.esfalmaraz@usal.es

AR SANDBOX

1

movie.mp4Media File (video/mp4)

Introduction

The Augmented Reality Sandbox as a platform for educativeexperiences.

The project from three points of view

Technical- Hardware and Software

- Alignment and calibration

Institutional and nancial- Medialab USAL

Educational- Interdisciplinary

- AR in Education

2

Augmented Reality Experiences

Add a virtual layer of information by computer-generated sensory inputs

Figure 1: Pokemon Go: The

interface is the screen of the

mobile device

Figure 2: AR Sandbox: Here the

interface is real sand

3

AR Sandbox at Universidad de Salamanca

AR Sandbox. What? & Why?

The original idea was developed by OliverKreylos at UC Davis.

Several installations of this kind have beenmade in institutions and science museumsaround the world

The AR Sandbox was conceived as a Masterthesis in the MSc in Teaching Education(Secondary) with Qualied Teacher Status(QTS) at the Universidad de Salamanca.

4

AR Sandbox: How does it works?

Figure 3: Schematics of the AR

Sandbox. The Kinetic camera reads

the surface while the beamer add the

virtual digital layer

5

Viability

The AR sandbox has several advantages for its implementation:

1. Cheap and accessible hardware: The kinetic is a sensor sold withthe Xbox videoconsole that is cheap and aordable. The beamerneeds some specications but any general-purpose beamer can beused for the project.

2. Open software: the full software for the installation is open sourcewhich means there is no fee or payment to use it and the mostimportant thing is that the code is open and therefore can bemodied to the needs of the user.

3. A community around it. As the installation has been performed inseveral places, a community has been created which is helpful toobtain resources and help the installation. Also, the communityimproves the software and implementation constantly to produce abetter experience

6

MEDIALAB USAL

7

Adventages of the AR for the teaching of the science

Methods of teaching with AR have demonstrated to help in the teachingof complex science or mathematical subjects.

One interesting application of this AR Sandbox is the illustration ofmathematical abstract concepts such as topographic maps and contourlines.

The AR Sandbox is a perfectimplementation of thisconcept. Varying the surfaceon the sand, the student canobserve that this denition isgeneral and how this conceptof isosurface or contour lineevolves as the surface changes.

8

Natural Science Contents

9

Thank you for yourattention

Sergio lvarez SnchezFacultad de Educacin

Universidad de Salamancaseralsa@usal.es

10

seralsa@usal.es