Skip to content

Steuben County Soil and Water Conservation District

Angola, Indiana

Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • History
    • Staff and Supervisors
    • Affiliate Members
    • Partners
    • Publications
      • Annual Plan of Work
      • Board Meeting Minutes
      • Newsletters
      • Steuben County SWCD Business Plans
  • News & Events
    • News and Updates
    • Upcoming Events
  • Watersheds
    • Major Watersheds
      • Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB)
    • Primary Watersheds
  • Agriculture
    • Cost-Share Programs
    • River Friendly Farmer
    • Soil Health
    • USDA Programs
    • Whole Farm Conservation Planning
  • Urban
    • Backyard Conservation
    • Clean Water Indiana Urban Grant
    • Landscaping for Pollinators
    • Rain Barrels
    • Rain Gardens
  • Conservation Resources
    • Construction and Stormwater Control
    • Educational Programs
      • Augmented Reality Sandbox
      • Conservation Education Video Series
      • GeoTrail
      • Lesson Kits
    • Equipment
      • Water Monitoring Kits
    • Food Plot Seed Program
    • Invasive Species
    • Other Programs
    • Soil Sampling and Testing
    • Transect Data
    • Tree Nursery Program
    • Water Quality
      • Steuben County Lakes Council Water Quality Data
      • E. Coli
      • Blue-Green Algae
      • Septic System Health
  • Contact

Augmented Reality Sandbox

The Steuben County SWCD’s Augmented Reality Sandbox (ARS) is available for use by Steuben County Educators and organization leaders (4-H, FFA, Home School Groups) to use in their classrooms or for presentations to their groups. There are lesson plans for the ARS use as well to supplement their classroom educational experience.

What is an Augmented Reality Sandbox?

This tool combines 3D visualization applications with a hands-on sandbox exhibit to teach earth science concepts. The AR sandbox allows users to create topographic models by shaping real sand, which is then augmented in real time by an elevation color map, topographic contour lines, and simulated water. The system teaches geographic, geologic, and hydrologic concepts such as how to read a topography map, the meaning of contour lines, watersheds, catchment areas, levees, etc.

How does it work?

The AR Sandbox uses a computer projector and a motion-sensing input device (an Xbox 360 Kinect camera), which are mounted above the sand. The camera is calibrated to detect the 3D landscape of the sand and the height of the “raincloud” to start the rain. Open source software that was developed by UC Davis in California instantly simulates and projects the topographic and hydrologic model as users create landscapes and move water in the hands-on sandbox.

Lessons Available

Basic Lesson Plan

Stormwater Management Lesson

Watershed Lesson

For more information or to schedule a presentation with the Augmented Reality Sandbox to your class or group, please email steubenswcd@gmail.com or call (260) 665-3211, ext. 3.

Acknowledgements

The Steuben County Soil and Water Conservation District gives special thanks to the Steuben County Community Foundation and to the City of Angola/Trine University MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) for their financial support in the creation of this teaching tool. We would also like to thank Jordan Beehler for her technical assistance in getting the program running. Thank you also to Jenna Wait, Elkhart County SWCD, for her assistance with this page and with the Technical Instructions and Guide.

The Augmented Reality Sandbox was developed by the UC Davis W.M. Keck Center for Active Visualization in the Earth Sciences (KeckCAVES, http://www.keckcaves.org), supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL 1114663.

Office Updates

Please call the office before visiting to verify we are here as we are frequently in the field.  Contact us by phone at (260) 665-3211, ext. 3 or email steubenswcd@gmail.com for assistance.

Upcoming Events

  1. Indiana Master Naturalist Workshop Session #4

    May 24 @ 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm
  2. Indiana Master Naturalist Workshop Session #5

    May 31 @ 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm
  3. Indiana Master Naturalist Workshop Session #6

    June 7 @ 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm
  4. Steuben County SWCD Board Meeting

    June 8 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
  5. Steuben County SWCD Board Meeting

    June 8 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

View All Events

Steuben County Soil and Water Conservation District 2022 . Powered by WordPress