The AR Sandbox allows students to explore landforms and spatial relationships in a way that’s far more tangible than maps or textbooks. By building mountains, valleys, and coastlines with their hands, learners can see contour lines, elevation changes, and slope gradients come to life. It’s especially effective for teaching topographic maps and developing spatial reasoning skills. AR sandbox is a valuable tool to understand geography and geology concepts including topographical features, landforms, and geological processes by interacting with a dynamic, 3D representation of the terrain.
Environmental Science
Simulating ecosystems or natural processes like erosion, runoff, and habitat formation helps students understand the interconnectedness of Earth's systems. The sandbox can also be used to explore the effects of human activity—such as deforestation, urbanization, or damming—on natural landscapes and water flow. AR sandboxes can be used to simulate environmental scenarios, such as the impact of rainfall, sea-level rise, erosion, and sedimentation.
Hydrology
One of the most powerful features of the AR Sandbox is its real-time water simulation. When users make a depression in the sand, they can simulate rainfall and observe how water accumulates, forms rivers, and drains into lower basins. This makes it ideal for teaching about watersheds, groundwater, flooding, and the water cycle. Users can use AR sandbox to create rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water in the sandbox, and the system can simulate water flow and drainage patterns, helping students grasp principles of hydrology and watershed management.
Earth Science & Geology
With its ability to model tectonic features and simulate erosion over time, the AR Sandbox can help students understand how Earth’s surface is shaped. It can also serve as a tool for exploring volcanic activity, fault lines, and the rock cycle by connecting surface features with subsurface processes.
Spatial Awareness
AR sandboxes can improve spatial awareness and understanding of three-dimensional spaces. Users can create and manipulate terrain, helping them develop spatial thinking skills.
Interactive Learning and Team Collaboration
The hands-on nature of an AR sandbox makes it an engaging and interactive learning tool. It encourages exploration, experimentation, research and visualization, and problem-solving. It encourages teamwork and collaboration as users work together to shape the virtual environment or solve challenges presented by the sandbox.
Art and Design
AR sandbox can be adapted for artistic and design experiments. Artists and designers can use them to create 3D sculptures, landscapes, art installations among others.
