Collaborative Augmented Reality for Inorganic Chemistry Education

Augmented Reality (AR) is a computer related research area that allows users to see views of the real world enhanced with text and virtual information. AR with 3D models can be used as an educational aid to help students gain spatial intuition. This intuition is very useful in many disciplines like, for example, Inorganic Chemistry. We present in this paper an AR system for teaching spatial relationships and chemical problem solving skills to university-level students. Our system is based on inexpensive webcams and open-source software. Our students quickly gained visual cues and 3D intuition when the system was implemented. A survey we conducted after the experience shows great acceptance of the system as well as better results when solving Inorganic Chemistry problems related to 3D crystal structures. Key-Words: Inorganic Chemistry, Augmented Reality, classroom aids, 3D material modeling, collaborative environments, crystal structures, silicates