May 18, 2016 3 min read

At the back of the classroom in the Upper St. Clair High School fabrication laboratory sits a black, wooden sand table that stands about waist high. Seemingly, the only things missing are shovels, pails and other sand toys for children.

With the dimming of the lights and powering of a project, the sandbox becomes a virtual topographical map that adjusts instantly to the contours of the sand, the creation of Upper St. Clair senior Michael Smith.

In need of an idea for the culminating project for his advanced engineering course, Michael turned to his teacher, Fred Peskorski. Although he had never heard of an augmented-reality sandbox, two weeks into the school year Michael was researching and learning everything he could to build one.

The augmented-reality sandbox allows users to create and change topography models simply by moving and shaping sand. In real time, the technology projects a color-coded contour map.

Dragging your hand through the sand instantly creates a river of blue water that flows with realistic motion. Make a pile of sand, and you’ve created a red mountain with contour lines showing the elevation. Hold your hand over the sand, and rain begins to fall, eroding the landscape.

The technology for the project requires a short-throw projector, Xbox 360 Kinect sensor, computer equipped with Linux operating system and an open-source program that Michael was able to find online.

“Basically, all of the magic happens from the Kinect, which senses how deep the sand is and how high the sand is, and that sends the depth to the computer which translates it into a topographical map,” Michael said. “A high point would be red, and the low points represent below sea level, so that’s where the simulated water will travel.”

The technology for the project totaled more than $1,000, which was funded by Sonny Bringol, president of Victorian Finance, through the assistance of Upper St. Clair’s advancement office. Sheila Gorgonio, director of advancement, was able to match the innovative project with the interests of the donor.

The table for the project was built in the school’s FAB Lab, designed to fit through standard door frames, and castors were added to ensure that it can travel easily between classrooms and schools.

“Originally, my intention was to use this in architecture class to help teach about topographical maps and site plans for students that build their houses,” Peskorski said. “As I realized its capabilities, we could use this in the environmental studies classes. We could take it down to the elementary classes, and let them play in sand and understand how a topographical map is developed.”

Although Michael graduates in June, his project will remain with Upper St. Clair School District. The augmented-reality sandbox will serve as an effective teaching tool for environmental science concepts, including topography, the meaning of contour lines, understanding how water flows over a landscape, erosion, and more.

Michael will attend the University of Akron and major in computer engineering.

For a video of the project, visit vimeo.com/166823275.