23/04/2019
On Sunday, April 14, Avenues São Paulo held its first Ruckus Constructus, a school-wide family STEAM event created by Avenues faculty, parents and students. Melon was a part of Ruckus with a solution called “From Bits to Atoms”, a workshop built in partnership with Microsoft with the intention to connect the digital to the physical world, by teaching kids how to model in 3D using the Microsoft Paint 3D.
With the approach of plan, model, make, Melon came up with a platform that enabled the kids to create their own 3D models and upload them to the cloud with a personalized marker, name, and color, that later on were transformed on a sticker that showed their 3D models in an AR browser application.
Today, we can’t imagine education without innovative and emerging technologies that make the learning and teaching process easier and more interesting. 3D modeling has changed the way project designs are presented. It has undoubtedly changed the way we look at projects and how we present information. It is a realistic, easy and quick way to show dimensions in a 3D space being able to understand objects relationships, helping to visualize space, movement, access, and so on. With the importance of 3D modeling in the market, Augmented Reality comes in as a great application of how BITS (the digital world) can connect to ATOMS (the physical world).
Augmented Reality is a growing field of technology where reality is modified and enhanced by sights and sounds generated by a computer. AR makes the existing reality more meaningful allowing to interact with it. AR stimulates a multi-sensory and intellectual engagement and sometimes even emotional connections. When incorporated into education, AR has a great potential to be used in the classroom, changing the way students interact with the real world, enhancing student engagement, and making the learning of their subject content fun, motivating them to explore fostering their creativity and imagination.
Most of the times, in order to use AR, there is a need to download specific applications and this could be a barrier when talking about practicality. Melon adopted the concept of AR on the browser in which with only your smartphone camera and one click it was possible for the kids to see their 3D models wherever their sticker market was attached to. This made the activity more intuitive and easier for the kids to use it.
This technology can be applied in several different areas, ranging from marketing campaigns to online gaming. Melon believes that coming up with innovative ways of exploring the best of technology will lead to the expansion of multiple businesses.
