Specification

Edutainment exhibit consists of:

• Wheeled cubicle of aluminium plus acryl glass tank filled with sand (GFZ central workshop)
• 3D depth camera – near infrared laser (Microsoft Kinect Sensor Version 1.0)
• Desktop computer with powerful graphic card (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970)
• Projector (Benq MX631ST)
• Free software (SARndbox-1.6, GNU General Public License) developed at University of California, Davis, USA

Application

The Augmented Reality (AR) Sandbox is used for educative and interactive demonstration of natural processes and research questions in geophysics. The exhibit imparts knowledge particularly in fields of geomorphology and hydrology. The real analogue landscape of sand can be shaped at will. Simultaneously, the sand surface is scanned and the elevation model is projected back in real time. In addition to this elevation information the reality is augmented with water simulations. Thus rain, runoff, river routing and floods as well as dike breaks or dam failure could be shown in an impressive manner.

Link

Inventors website