Augmenting the thermal flux experiment: a mixed reality approach with the HoloLens

TL;DR

This paper presents a mixed reality experiment using HoloLens to enhance thermodynamics education by integrating real sensor data with virtual visualization, making invisible phenomena perceptible for students.

Contribution

It introduces a novel MR-based laboratory experiment in thermodynamics that combines real sensor data with virtual visualization for educational purposes.

Findings

Enhanced student engagement and understanding of thermodynamics concepts.

Successful integration of real sensor data with virtual visualization in MR environment.

Potential for broader application in science and engineering education.

Abstract

In the field of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies have made huge progress during the last years and also reached the field of education. The virtuality continuum, ranging from pure virtuality on one side to the real world on the other has been successfully covered by the use of immersive technologies like head-mounted displays, which allow to embed virtual objects into the real surroundings, leading to a Mixed Reality (MR) experience. In such an environment digital and real objects do not only co-exist, but moreover are also able to interact with each other in real-time. These concepts can be used to merge human perception of reality with digitally visualized sensor data and thereby making the invisible visible. As a first example, in this paper we introduce alongside the basic idea of this column an MR-experiment in thermodynamics for a laboratory course for freshman students in physics or other science and engineering subjects which uses physical data from mobile devices for analyzing and displaying physical phenomena to students.