Project
| # | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | AR Sandbox |
Haowen Zheng Haoze Gao Qiran Pan Yiheng Zhang |
design_document1.pdf proposal1.pdf proposal2.pdf |
Timothy Lee | |
| ## Team members Haoze Gao, haozeg2 Haowen Zheng, haowenz5 Qiran Pan, qiranp2 Yiheng Zhang, yihengz5 ## Title Of Project AR Sandbox Redesign ## Problem Introducing a smart sandbox with augmented reality (AR) capabilities that projects contour maps in real-time onto the sand surface, making geography education for children not only informative but also significantly more enjoyable. However, currently available educational sandboxes are mostly cumbersome and limited to public spaces like activity centers rather than serving as personalized learning tools. Furthermore, the existing AR projectors designed for sandboxes exhibit primitive features, characterized by a notably low refresh rate and harsh direct light. We are committed to addressing these drawbacks and are working towards the development of a new and improved AR sandbox. This innovative solution aims to overcome the limitations of bulkiness, offering a more accessible and personal learning experience. Additionally, we are focused on enhancing the AR functionality to deliver a smoother experience with higher refresh rates and reduced glare, ensuring a more comfortable and engaging educational tool for children. ## Solution Overview We would develop a next-generation sandbox with augmented reality (AR) projection and interaction capabilities. In comparison to the popular versions available in the market, our AR projector is set to achieve a higher refresh rate, easier control without external touch screen, and the overall structure will be designed to be foldable while ensuring both high load-bearing capacity and stability. ## Solution Components ### Sensor Subsystem - **RGBD** camera (ToF or structured light) and associated software for acquiring RGB image and processing depth information ### Processing Subsystem With the use of GPU acceleration - **Human body detection** to overcome the interference from human hands and head. With this to enable multi-user collaboration - **User Interface** with gesture control. Use hand gestures to interact with the screen projected on sand. - **Real-time topography rendering**: Constructing topography map from depth information with GPU acceleration ### Display Subsystem - Displaying on sand requires high luminance projector and associated **calibration software**. The software needs to track for image alignment ### Structure Subsystem - The sand table should be made of materials and designs with sufficient strength to carry sand and prevent people from damaging the wall of the sand table when in use. - The sand table will be foldable, which will reduce the volume and facilitate carrying and storage. - The sand table can be separated from the sand while folding, which will make the sand table more conducive to cleaning, increasing durability, and conducive to rapid deployment in different use scenarios. - We will add an additional vibration device so that the sand surface can be quickly restored to level when necessary. ## Criterion For Success For our criteria for success, we outline the following requirements: 1. Physical Structure: The sandbox must have a robust physical structure capable of fully supporting the weight of the sand without any leakage. It should also withstand lateral forces of around 40kg exerted by children pulling on the sides of the sandbox. 2. AR Projector: The projector should be capable of accurately projecting contour maps onto the sandbox with more than 1 people playing with sand at a refresh rate of higher than 30fps. To verify the correctness of the contour maps, we will artificially create distinctive landforms such as ridges, valleys, and saddles, and compare them with the projected contour maps to ensure accurate alignment. |
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