BMBF Research project

Be-greifen

2019

Tangible experiments: Combining theory and practice in MINT studies

In the interdisciplinary project ‘Be-greifen’, studio klv researched novel applications of human-technology interfaces. The joint project initiated by the ‘Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz’ (DFKI, German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence) posed the question: How can innovative forms of interaction that integrate digital information into the real world communicate the complex learning materials of the MINT subjects (mathematics, computer sciences, natural and technical sciences) in an accessible way? As planners of science centres, interactive exhibitions and extracurricular learning sites, we broght our practical experience to the table in order to find new didactic approaches that will inspire young people to explore these topics. The project was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Experiments with AR and tangibles

The idea behind the project was that we no longer need to rely on books in order to transmit theoretical foundations underlying scientific experiments. As an alternative, augmented reality glasses and tangible objects can serve as user interfaces illustrating topics in interactive experiments. In terms of accessible information channels, human-technology interaction shows high potential. By way of example, we developed an AR air cushion table and a thermal experiment for this interaction.

Interactive air cushion table and thermal experiment

At first, users experiment with their hands in a classic approach. However, while they are experimenting, AR glasses provide them with additional information that would not otherwise be visible. For example, through the glasses they can see how warm the test objects get during the heat test and how heat transmission takes place. All information is experienced in realtime. In addition, the glasses can provide feedback on the users’ learning progress.

The prototype of the AR air cushion table is located at the TU Kaiserslautern, where students carry out various experiments as part of their physics degree. For the Science Center Dynamikum in Pirmasens, we developed a more robust version: Here, a two-dimensional display on a screen replaces the sensitive glasses.

Project partners

In addition to DFKI and studio klv, partners of the research project comprised the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, the Institute for Philosophy and the Institute for Visualization and Interactive Systems (VIS) at the University of Stuttgart, xCon Partners GmbH (Ubimax), which specializes in AR software and wearable computing devices, and the Embedded Systems Academy GmbH (EmSA).

Services

Conception and scenography

  • Development of interactive exhibits

Design and planning

  • Exhibit development

Contact person

Bernhard Kehrer

Executive Management