Augmented reality wasn’t very accessible to the general population until recently as more solutions are being released. AR allows people to interact with the physical world while it is simultaneously being manipulated by technology to enhance the experience. New applications such as the augmented reality sandbox are creating educational experiences for small children while the technology was previously aimed at older students. How The Augmented Reality Sandbox Works There’s a computer projector focused on the sandbox itself. A motion sensing device above the sandbox allows for computing the topography within the sandbox making it educational as well as fun. The AR experience shows the formation of mountains and valleys in addition to how water would flow within the hypothetical space. This makes the augmented reality sandbox a great tool in assisting kids to realistically understand ecology in real time as well. With the addition of precipitation simulation, the box is able to show how space works not just in theory, but within different climates by presenting different weather patterns that are created by the user’s movements. Manipulations within the box are projecting on the sand in real time for a high-quality hands-on educational experience. Learning Applications With this innovative project, children are able to see colorful indications that assist in reinforcing topographical concepts. It can help older children in learning how to read topographical maps in a more hands-on way and pre-school aged children and see how their manipulation changes the world around them. The great thing is that it is versatile to a large range of young students while also being a soothing activity. While toddlers may not fully understand the conceptual learning, they will still enjoy the colorful sand experience. The augmented reality sandbox is a fun and relaxing educational tool for a large range of curious students. The addition of AR to the children’s museum experience really helps kids to understand the effects that they have on the world around them in addition to how the world works in general. Implementing this kind of technology in learning environments will assist in general understanding as kids will have better access to hands-on learning as opposed to just relying solely on reading comprehension from textbooks. This article was originally published on RickGarson.com