Augmented Reality for teaching spatial relations

This paper describes an approach for increasing the understanding and ease the learning of chemistry for students by visualizing and controlling virtual models of molecules in a intuitive way. With the Help of Augmented Reality, we developed a tool with the name Augmented Chemical Reactions. This program visualizes models of molecules rendered to a camera picture at the position of special markers hold in the hands of the users. The intuitive controlling of the position and orientation of the molecules is done by moving and rotating the markers in front of a camera, so the virtual objects behave as they would have been manipulated themselves. For a better understanding of the subject of chemistry, Augmented Chemical Reactions also shows the dynamic deformation of molecules when they come close to each other. Here the users can have a better view on certain behaviours between molecules. This program has the potential to increase the understanding and ease learning chemistry because of its intuitive controlling of the 3D structure of molecules. In the same way that Augmented Chemical Reactions can help students, it also has the potential to speed up the process of designing new molecules. Scientists can inspect the created molecules and see, if they meet the spatial requirements for specific reactions. This approach prevents time consuming reactions in the laboratory to create those molecules and test them for their desired attributes.     «

This paper describes an approach for increasing the understanding and ease the learning of chemistry for students by visualizing and controlling virtual models of molecules in a intuitive way. With the Help of Augmented Reality, we developed a tool with the name Augmented Chemical Reactions. This program visualizes models of molecules rendered to a camera picture at the position of special markers hold in the hands of the users. The intuitive controlling of the position and orientation of...     »