Opportunities

Using the Sandbox

Social Media

Follow the Sandboxes


The Augmented Reality Sandbox

"An amazing resource!" : The Augmented Reality Sandbox uses colour and interpolated line drawing to model landscape - as on a topographic map. Further functions allow you to model the effects of rain, showing flood and water flow impact on the model topology.

The sandbox uses a virtual reality engine (VRUI) in combination with a computer projector and a motion sensing input device (a Microsoft Kinect 3D camera) mounted above a box of sand. When you shape the sand in the sandbox, the Kinect detects the distance to the sand below, and a visualization of an elevation model with contour lines and a colour map assigned by elevation is cast from an overhead projector onto the surface of the sand. Move the sand, and the Kinect perceives changes in the distance to the sand surface, and the projected colours and contour lines change accordingly. The River Wey Trust sandbox also provides a number of alternative effects so you can build volcanoes, understand why canal locks are needed and how they work, or look at the impact of different land use on the management of flood or water flows.

The majority of sandboxes built have used Dr Kreylos' model, which he has released as open source software. The software is supported by an online forum hosted by UCDavis, and enhancements or additions to the functions of the sandbox are found there. Some companies have taken advantage and released commercial versions, but the majority are built and supported by enthusiasts who contribute back to the project.

NEXT: How the AR Sandbox was Developed

How the AR Sandbox was Developed

The development of the AR Sandbox is largely the work of Dr Olver Kreylos, developed at the Keck Center for Active Visualization in Earth Science at the University of California (UC), Davis. This project was originally inspired by the “Sandy Station,” developed by researchers working in the Czech Republic.

The AR Sandbox prototype became an interactive public exhibit for science education as part of a multi-disciplinary National Science Foundation (NSF)–funded project called LakeViz3D. This collaboration of scientists, science educators, evaluators, museum professionals, and media developers created 3-D visualizations to help improve public understanding and stewardship of freshwater ecosystems. The first four AR Sandboxes were built at the science centre partners of LakeViz3D: KeckCAVES; the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, California.; Tahoe Environmental Research Center in Incline Village, Nevada; and Ecology, Culture, History, and Opportunities (ECHO), Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont.

The software that produces the visualization is created using an open-source virtual reality development toolkit for 3-D graphics applications (VRUI) also developed at KeckCAVES. The flow visualization is based on the Saint-Venant shallow-water equations, a depth-integrated version of the Navier-Stokes fluid flow equations [Kurganov and Petrova, 2007].

Dr Kreylos released the code as open source in 2015 approx, and since then a number of sandboxes have been built following his model and instructions. The sandbox is supported by an active user forum, where updates and code contributions can be found. The River Wey Trust is an active supporter of the forum.

If you are interested in this model, please try not to buy one from a company which has copied and commercialised the code - Dr Kreylos released it as open source, and the augmentations and upgrades are also freely available.

NEXT: How the Sandbox can be used

How the Sandbox can be used

Originally conceived to provide an interactive topology model, the sandbox can be used at various levels of learning and to support different aspects of STEM education. Based on sound principles, the fluid flows and colour effects are managed through configuration files, giving scope to adjust to meet whatever purpose is needed. Students at the University of Iowa have adapted their model to look at gravity, others use the options available on some builds to demonstrate simple volcanic activitiy. Perhaps worryingly, one version can be found on YouTube where the US army has used a model for battlefield planning!

The U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory reports that “The sandbox is a mesmerizing story-telling device.” They use the sandbox to explore, with visitors, how composite volcanoes like Mount St. Helens are built, what happened during the 1980 eruption, and how lahars can travel far downstream from a volcano. (A River Wey Trust Lesson plan uses Mt St Helens as an example for topgraphic study. )

AR Sandboxes have been used to teach university-level students about topographic maps, hydrology, and geomorphology. At UC Davis, students in upper-division structural geology courses use the AR Sandbox to visualize subsurface structures before they go out into the field.
The AR Sandbox helps students in physical geology laboratories interpret contour lines and visualize the 3-D landscape depicted as lines on a topographic map — concepts that students find challenging. Students model, predict, and then explore whether water can move naturally on the surface from one drainage basin to an adjacent basin.

In the UK there are some 25+ registered AR Sandboxes. The majority are 'fixed' exhibits. Two "portable" versions are available as part of fully supported outreach programmes - The River Wey Trust based in Hampshire, and the JBA Trust based in Skipton, Yorkshire.

The River Wey Trust

After a very quiet couple of covid years, the River Wey Trust's outings in 2022 have had a range of activities. School trips interspersed with festivals and exhibitions.

This year we've also been demonstrating kick sampling alongside the usual displays on the stand, so had invertebrate spotting at one end of the display, and building rivers in sand at the other - makes for frantic sessions for the team, but great fun!.

RWT sandbox at Oxford Uni Nat Hist Museum

The River Wey Trust AR Sandbox at Oxford University Natural History Museum supporitng the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

JBA Trust

Details of the AR Sandbox and other demonstration models used by the JBA Trust are here.

We work with schools to highlight the fantastic opportunities of studying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects and the many interesting and varied careers that STEM can lead to.

Activities include using our demonstration physical models help us to explain the concepts of flood and coastal risk management.  These concepts are particularly relevant to the GCSE and A-Level Geography curriculum.

KS3 students looking for maths resources in a practical environment? The JBA Trust Learning Resources offer a number of options.

STEM Learning shows the AR Sandbox available as a resource supported by STEM Ambassadors for STEM Clubs, Hands-on Practical, Interactive Sessions, or as part of an Event or Exhibition.

The STEM link to an offer of a visit is here and the resource information page is here .

STEM Resource Info

There are a number of lesson plans available for the River Wey Trust on our website at riverweytrust.org.uk covering age groups from 6 to 18 across the Key Stages.
Using the AR Sandbox as a 3D topography map supports learning for outdoor activities and map reading - used to illustrate the skills needed and outlined by the Ordnance Survey

JBA Trust learning resources for and other environmental education charities are available here

Further eduction and event or exhibition uses show that the sandbox engages across a wide range of ages and interests, including environmental planning, water company landscape examples, and - for special needs schools - a range of options to use the model for sensory feedback.

NEXT: Social Media

Social Media

River Wey Trust

JBA Trust

 

Royal Institution

 

 

 

 

 

 

mastodon icon Mastodon

 

 

NEXT: The Augmented Reality Sandbox

Cookies in use on this site

Cookies and how they Benefit You

Our website uses cookies, as almost all websites do, to help provide you with the best experience we can. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile phone when you browse websites

Our cookies help us:

  • Make our website work as you'd expect
  • Improve the speed/security of the site
  • Continuously improve our website for you
  • Make our marketing more efficient

We do not use cookies to:

  • Collect any personally identifiable information (without your express permission)
  • Collect any sensitive information (without your express permission)
  • Pass data to advertising networks
  • Pass personally identifiable data to third parties
  • Pay sales commissions

Granting us permission to use cookies

If the settings on your software that you are using to view this website (your browser) are adjusted to accept cookies we take this, and your continued use of our website, to mean that you are fine with this. Should you wish to remove or not use cookies from our site you can learn how to do this below, however doing so will likely mean that our site will not work as you would expect.

More about our Cookies

Website Function Cookies

We use session cookies to make our website work. There is no way to prevent these cookies being set other than to not use our site.

The site contains links to YouTube and Twitter which in turn will assign their own cookies which can be managed by your personal browser settings. Cookies in links to other sites are not managed by nor used by our site.

Anonymous Visitor Statistics Cookies

We use cookies to compile visitor statistics such as how many people have visited our website, what type of technology they are using (e.g. Mac or Windows which helps to identify when our site isn't working as it should for particular technologies), how long they spend on the site, what page they look at etc. This helps us to continuously improve our website. These so called “analytics” programs also tell us if, on an anonymous basis, how people reached this site (e.g. from a search engine) and whether they have been here before helping us to put more money into developing our services for you instead of marketing spend.

We use Google Analytics to provide anonymised information about how the pages are used.

Turning Cookies Off

You can usually switch cookies off by adjusting your browser settings to stop it from accepting cookies (Learn how here). Doing so however will likely limit the functionality of our's and a large proportion of the world's websites as cookies are a standard part of most modern websites

It may be that you concerns around cookies relate to so called "spyware". Rather than switching off cookies in your browser you may find that anti-spyware software achieves the same objective by automatically deleting cookies considered to be invasive. Learn more about managing cookies with antispyware software.

The cookie information text on this site was derived from content provided by Attacat Internet Marketing http://www.attacat.co.uk/, a marketing agency based in Edinburgh. If you need similar information for your own website you can use their free cookie audit tool.

NEXT: The Augmented Reality Sandbox

Exhibitions

Exhibitions

Groundswell Conference

The Groundswell event provides a forum for farmers and anyone interested in food production or the environment to learn about the theory and practical applications of Conservation Agriculture or regenerative systems, including no-till, cover crops and re-introducing livestock into the arable rotation, with a view to improving soil health..

Special Schools

Alternative Schools

In Arthur Conan Doyle's attic

Located in 'Undershaw' - Conan Doyle's home, Stepping Stones at Hindhead is a school offering a unique environment for the student who finds a mainstream school too challenging, and find the curriculum and peer group offered by a fully fledged special school too narrow or limiting. A day with the AR Sandbox provided learing and sensory input.

On the TV

Sandbox on the BBC Logo

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2020

Started by Michael Faraday in 1825, and now broadcast on national television every year, the CHRISTMAS LECTURES are the UK's flagship science series. The RWT Sandbox was used in Lecture two of the 2020 season, supporting Helen Czerski's 'Water World' session.

Museums

Museums

Mapping the Thames

The Museum of London ran a half-term programme looking at the River Thames with the Sandbox in use at both Canary Wharf and London Wall venues.

Museums

School Trips

National Trust Dapdune Wharf

As one element of trips to the National Trust's unusual Godalming and Wey Navigations extended property, school visits often use the Sandbox to learn about rivers and canals.

Festivals

Festivals and Events

Green Man Festival 2021

An unusual (and unusually LARGE!) installation supporting Beth Kettel's "A Mutual Influence" in a field with a shaped second screen over 30 metres away...
Picture © Anna Arca 2021

... places we get to ...

Aldershot Military Museum

Unusual Places

Aldershot Military Museum

The location is a touch unusual - squeezed between a field gun from WW2 and a horse drawn supply cart from the late 19th century.
The sandbox has been to the museum a couple of times supporting their activities.

Edgeborough

Rivers in Schools

Edgeborough School  Instagram Reel

A day of working with rivers and volcanoes at Edgeborough, supporting the geography classes as they examined these topics and had some fun in the process.
This is becoming a regular visit over the years, as with a number of other schools.

Volcano

Volcanoes

Alternative uses for the model   

The RWT model has a number of 'added features' including several sets of alternative effects representing lava, snow, and pollutants. With varying physical flow characteristics, these effects coupled with controls to change 'sea level' in the model allow a range of topics and techniques to be used at different levels of study.

In class

School Takeover

a classroom in use ...

Bringing the sandbox into schools as a part of their lessons is always fun. Teachers are able to integrate the model with their lessons, but also make the learning process (and remembering!) much more fun


Events with an AR Sandbox


Contact Us