Looking for a creative way of learning about geography and topography? Then come check out the new augmented reality (AR) sandbox at the.
Created and built by Devin Kiyonaga and Dan Griffin, the sandbox has a 3D camera that projects topographical elements onto the sand and will change as users alter the shape of the sand. When a mound is created, topographical lines appear. When a hole is dug, water and fish fill up the empty space.
Kiyonaga said the project was inspired by the topography surrounding Squamish.
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“You can't live here and not be connected to the mountains and to the surrounding topography. And so I figured this would be a cool way to kind of help people wrap their heads around what those little squiggly lines are on the map when they're looking at them and then hopefully to inspire them to get out and be up there more,” he said.
Hilary Bloom, the director of library services at the 麻豆社国产Library, said that once she saw it she knew it could be a great addition to the library.
“As soon as I actually saw what it is and realized how cool, hands-on and kind of zen it actually is, [we] decided that putting it out here in the foyer and making it accessible to everybody wandering by was worth a shot,” said Bloom, adding that so far the sand has mostly stayed inside the sandbox.
Kiyonaga explained that the technology is fairly simple as it uses open-source software from the internet. He said other AR sandboxes have included games, but for now the one at the library will stick to the geographic and topographic features. He said that funding and some parts for the project came from a grant from , a local geotech firm and a local who donated computer equipment.
For the time being, the sandbox will remain at the library, but Kiyonaga added that he and Griffin made it portable in case it could be useful in different settings.
Though Bloom said kids were drawn to the sandbox and its features, she’s seen adults become interested as well.
“Everybody seems to just kind of get really tuned into it when they're there. And we have people playing with that thing for extended periods of time,” she said.
She’s even found herself drawn to it.
“I find it zen, I just go out there and kind of play with it sometimes myself if I need a break,” she said with a laugh.
