Interactive sandbox

The "Interactive Sandbox" is a gaming and educational complex developed and released to the market by the "Gefest" group of companies. The complex is a blend of augmented reality technology and a container of sand, essentially a regular sandbox. The computer within the complex detects the depth of the sand surface's irregularities and, depending on the results, projects different objects onto the surface and colors them accordingly. This makes it possible to create three-dimensional augmented reality textures on the sand surface, such as earth landscapes—seas, rivers, mountains, and deserts. Depending on the program, any objects can be projected, such as a chessboard or a canvas on which a painting can be drawn.

The most important feature is that the computer is controlled using the very same sand surface, which, thanks to electronics, turns into a touch screen. Thus, children can create seas and mountains with their own hands in geography programs, change riverbeds, and in educational programs, move letters and numbers, form words, and solve simple math problems.

During the lessons, children develop essential skills for later life—communication, visual memory, and reaction. They improve fine motor skills by interacting with the tactile controls of the interactive objects. Children learn to count and write more easily, as well as the basics of geography and biology, through visual observation of the processes happening in the world around them and the opportunity for active intervention in them.

Today’s review of the 3D industry market highlights a new product from the "Gefest-Capital" group of companies, which released the educational gaming complex "Interactive Sandbox." At the core of this innovation is augmented reality technology. Interestingly, the primary element of this complex, which is packed with electronics, is regular sand, or more precisely, an actual sandbox.

The container with sand is mounted on a stand, with a projector and a special camera fixed on top, which reads the depth of the sand surface and the movements of the players' hands. By the way, an unlimited number of children can use the sandbox at the same time. The computer in the complex receives signals from the camera, analyzes them, and depending on the results, projects an image onto the required section of the sand surface. At the same time, the computer analyzes the trajectories of hand movements and transforms them into control commands. Thus, the sand surface serves both as a base for projecting textures and as a touch control panel. Thanks to the uneven surface of the sand, the projected images acquire volume, and with their hands, children control the processes happening— for example, they can create a mountain and immediately turn it into an erupting volcano. With the "Interactive Sandbox," children easily learn the basics of counting and writing, familiarize themselves with geophysical processes happening inside and on the surface of our planet, improve communication skills, and develop sensory perception.

Interactive Sandbox Effects

Treasure Hunt. Depending on the change in sand height, the landscape changes. You need to find and dig up all the hidden treasure chests.	Nature. Depending on the change in sand height, the landscape changes, and vegetation, water bodies, and volcanoes appear.	Hide and Seek with Animals. Depending on the change in sand height, the landscape changes. You need to find and dig up hidden animals.

Seasons. A table game. Move the leaves with your hands. The season changes when you press the left mouse button.	Winter. Depending on the change in sand height, the landscape changes from earth to snow and then to ice.	Space. Depending on the sand level, the pre-set layers of the space templates are gradually displayed.

Flower Relaxation. A table game. Flowers move chaotically across the surface, which you can grab with your hands.	Coloring with Colors. Depending on the sand level, the color in the stencil picture changes.	Space Relaxation. Stars move chaotically across the surface, which you can grab with your hands.

Garden. Depending on the change in sand height, the landscape changes, and flowers grow. Vegetation disappears near the water body and grows on the grassy surface.	Tanks. Tanks drive in from different sides, and you need to quickly bury them or cover them with your palms and keep your palms above them.	Colors. Depending on the sand level, the colors smoothly change.

Coloring with Pictures. Depending on the sand level, the pre-set layers of the coloring templates are gradually displayed in the stencil picture.	Dynamic Colors. Depending on the sand level, the colors smoothly change, but after a few seconds, all colors change automatically to random colors.