Augmented Reality Sandbox!
~Text and pic by Drew Tanner, BHRC
With help from the Building Bridges to Careers Makerspace, Buckeye Hills Regional Council has a new tool for education and outreach that blends augmented reality technology with the fun of an old-fashioned sandbox.
At the recent Family Career Awareness Day hosted by BB2C, the AR sandbox drew as much interest and interaction from adults as it did from the students in attendance. Development Director Bret Allphin notes that the AR sandbox is a great tool for helping youth and local officials alike understand the importance of mapping.
The AR sandbox allows users to create topography models by shaping real sand, which is then augmented in real time by an elevation color map, topographic contour lines, and simulated water. The system teaches geographic, geologic, and hydrologic concepts such as how to read a topography map, the meaning of contour lines, watersheds, catchment areas, levees, etc.
“We use tools like this when we help rural communities plan for the future,” says Allphin. “This is a good tool to teach folks about geography and about cartography. And it’s a good application of technology.”
The project builds on a National Science Foundation funded exhibit developed by researchers at University of California Davis. Allphin and the Buckeye Hills Regional Council Geographic Information Systems staff—Jason Pyles, and Dru Sexton—brought the plans made available online by UC Davis to the Makespace. Over the course of several days, the GIS team utilized the Makerspace’s capabilities to bring the sandbox to life. The team used the wood shop’s tools to create the sandbox, legs, and the boom that holds a small projector and an Xbox 360 Connect camera. Mounting brackets for the camera and projector were made with one of the Makerspace’s 3-D printers. As a finishing touch, three signs were then laser engraved and attached to the sides of the sandbox.
After its successful debut at Family Career Awareness Day, the Buckeye Hills GIS team is excited to share the AR sandbox at future education and outreach events throughout southeast Ohio.