The Augmented Laboratory - A mixed reality setup for physics education

Abstract

We discuss an educational project, The Augmented Laboratory, aimed to bring innovation in educational physics laboratories in formal and informal contexts. It is based on the capability of obtaining 3D reconstructions of the physical world which can be visualized both live as the data is acquired and later on as interactive playbacks. The setup allows to obtain 3D tracking of multiple objects, to project data of interest directly on and around the objects used in a real experiment, and to introduce the new concept of "augmented experiments". The setup was tested with a group of university students and as a scientific exhibit for hands-on activities.