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System76 Provides Award-Winning Educational Technology Solution

Diversified Woodcrafts is the leader in the educational market for science, art and industrial furniture. Last year, Diversified Woodcrafts reached out to System76, a Linux Computer Manufacturer and the creators of Pop!_OS, for a technology solution to go with an Augmented Reality Sandbox kit they were creating.

The difference between a traditional sandbox and the AR Sandbox is the projection of color, representing virtual topography, onto the sand. In the AR Sandbox, the colors adjust in real time as the sand moves. In order to power this, they needed a portable, yet powerful, Linux-friendly computer that could run a fast NVIDIA GPU. They decided on the Oryx Pro laptop.

In asking Diversified Woodcrafts about their decision in choosing System76 they said,

The software for the Augmented Reality Sandbox is only compatible for Linux, and was popularly used among System76’s education customers. The original code was a little difficult to consume, so in 2015, System76 packaged the AR Sandbox software for Ubuntu-based OSes making it easier to install. During this time, System76 also created step-by-step tutorial instructions that detailed how to get the software and hardware calibrated. These instructions are included in the Diversified Woodcrafts’ Augmented Reality Sandbox kit. Now with the powerful Oryx Pros on their way, along with the AR Sandbox instructions, Diversified Woodcrafts now had a truly comprehensive solution that was ready for a successful launch.

What makes the AR Sandbox incredibly engaging is its ability to adjust the topography colors in real time as the sand moves from mountains to valleys. Even more impressive, is the augmented action of creating water. Hold your hands over the sand and rain will fall directly underneath. The simulated water flowing down mountains or filling valleys adds to the education component of the AR Sandbox, and extends its application to be used as a planning tool as well.

Using the AR Sandbox As An Education Tool

A QUOTE FROM DIVERSIFIED WOODCRAFTS:

90% of our business is done in the education marketplace. We have found that the sandbox has appeal across multiple curriculum areas. Science is the obvious one, as the software was designed to study watersheds. But it has applications elsewhere, too.

For example:

History teachers can use it to explain why certain historical events happened the way they did based on topography. We had one person lay out the Battle of Little Bighorn and another lay out Pearl Harbor.

Special needs teachers find the sandbox as a great tool for children with sensory issues. Autistic kids can shine, while they use the sandbox and interact with other children without the stress of having to look them in the eye. Children with behavioral plans can earn time to play in the sandbox, when they hit their benchmarks for a week.

Geography and topography education is an obvious area, as well.

High schools and universities with architecture and engineering programs can use the sandbox to test their designs and see if water would flow to the intended areas.

Other industries that have contacted us are: museums, the military, municipalities, architects and engineers. Someone who had lost their house in the recent Hurricane, told me that they wished Houston had used a sandbox when developing new areas of the city: City Planning.

Solution + Results

As noted above, the AR Sandbox has been a popular educational tool among history, geography, and science teachers. City-planners, libraries, and makerspaces can find valuable teaching or planning opportunities with it as well. Diversified Woodcrafts was looking for a powerful machine to facilitate an extraordinary learning experience. System76 was able to provide the technological solution, documentation, and support that Diversified Woodcrafts needed to create an all-encompassing educational-furniture solution to museums, schools, and other educators.

As a result, Diversified Woodcrafts sold ~50 kits last year and won two awards in the category of “New Product of the Year.” 

If you’re looking to build your own Augmented Reality Sandbox, you can follow our DIY instructions at <system76.com/weekend-project/arsandbox>. The best-recommended machines that can handle the graphics processing required are the Wild Dog Pro desktop or the Oryx Pro laptop.

Preview How the AR Sandbox Works Now