250 LBS OF SAND IN A
30-INCH BY 40-INCH BOX
APPEARS TO BE NOTHING MORE
THAN A GIANT SANDBOX, BUT
THEN THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED
ON AND EVERYTHING CHANGES.
IT'S CALLED THE AUGMENTED
REALITY SANDBOX AND THE
STUDENTS OF GCC'S STEM
CLUB, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,
ENGINEERING AND MATH, HAVE
COLLABORATED, ENGINEERED
AND CONSTRUCTED A
VERY UNIQUE TOOL.
WHEN YOU TOUCH IT, THERE'S
A COMPUTER THAT REACTS TO
YOUR TOUCH THAT CHANGES
THE LANDSCAPE DEPENDING ON
HOW YOU MOVE THE SAND.
THINK OF IT AS A DIGITAL
MAP THAT'S COME TO LIFE.
YOU CAN SHAPE
TERRAIN MODELS.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT
THE EXTENT OF IT IS NOW.
AS TIME GOES YOU CAN
GET MORE ADVANCED.
STEM CLUB STUDENTS WORKED
ON THE PROJECT FOR A YEAR,
MEETING FOR 40 MINUTES
EVERY FRIDAY DURING THE
SEMESTER CONSTRUCTING THE
BOX AND INCORPORATING THE
COMPUTER COMPONENTS.
WHITE SAND IS BASICALLY
YOUR PROJECTION SCREEN AND
THE COMPUTER IS AUGMENTING
THAT SAND WITH A TOPOLOGY
MAP AND WITH WATER FLOW.
STEM FUNDS FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALLOWED
THE CLUB TO PURCHASE
THE $2400 KIT.
INTEGRATED INTO THE SYSTEM
IS A LINUX OPERATING
SYSTEM ALONG WITH CAMERA
AND PROJECTION SOFTWARE.
MARLEY SAYS PROJECTS SUCH
AS THIS ALLOWS STUDENTS TO
EXPERIENCE SOMETHING THAT
GOES WELL BEYOND CLASSROOM
LECTURES AND BOOKS.
YOU HAVE A STUDENT WHO
COULDN'T UNDERSTAND A
TOPOGRAPHY MAP, COULDN'T
UNDERSTAND WHERE THE HIGHS
AND LOWS ARE AND THE
LITTLE RINGS OF ELEVATION,
AND THEN YOU TAKE THAT 2D
FLAT IMAGE AND YOU MAKE IT
A 3D IMAGE IN THE SANDBOX
AND ALL OF SUDDEN THE
TOPOLOGY STARTS
MAKING SENSE.
STUDENTS SAY THE STEM CLUB
MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE IN
THEIR LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
IT GAVE ME THE ABILITY TO
WORK ON A PROJECT THAT WAS
MORE HANDS ON THAN WHAT
I WAS GETTING IN MY
CLASSROOM SETTING.
SO I WANTED TO TAKE ON A
PROJECT WHERE I COULD WORK
THROUGH SOMETHING AND
ACTUALLY CREATE SOMETHING
AND GAIN A LOT OF SKILLS
THAT I DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE.
INSTRUCTORS IN THE
PHYSCIAL SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT SAY THE
AUGMENTED REALITY SANDBOX
CAN BE USED TO TEACH
A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS
INCLUDING HYDROLOGY,
GEOLOGY, EROSION AND
CONSERVATION AND MANY
OTHER EARTH SCIENCES.
AND, JUST LIKE EVERYONE
ELSE THEY CAN'T WAIT TO
GET THEIR HANDS
IN THE SAND.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
I CAN'T KEEP MY HANDS
OUT OF IT EITHER.
SO I UNDERSTAND.
BUT THEN IT'S LIKE
DON'T MESS IT UP.
I WORKED HARD ON THAT.
I'M RENE BLATTE
FOR MARICOPA NOW.
