Jacob Isbell demonstrates how Gravbox, an augmented-reality sandbox, works.



The third team was tasked with creating the user interface for Gravbox. Though the students first developed an Android app, they eventually opted for creating their own instructional display on a tablet mounted to the sandbox. Through this interface, users can choose what type of object they want to launch and its initially launch trajectory. They can then track the object’s journey through the sand-sculpted environment either by watching an overhead monitor or by simply watching the projected object as it moves over the sand.Though all three teams worked tirelessly on Gravbox over the 2016-17 academic year, by the time classes ended, the system still had some glitches. This prompted a number of the students to stick around campus and continue working on the project through the summer break, eventually ironing out all of the kinks by fall.“There’s that moment of recognition that what you’ve been working on has actually paid off in a finished product,” said Sophie Deam, a senior majoring in physics and astronomy and member of the algorithm team.“It was engaging that in a sense you had to work as a team,” said Mason Reed, a senior physics and astronomy major. “That gives you perspective for what working in a research group would be, figuring out how to work together, and finding the right balances.”

Nicholas Tomlonovic

“I think it’s unbelievable,” says Fu. “The students built the whole thing from scratch.”Though the Gravbox initially started as a fun class project, moving forward, Fu says, the Gravbox will be used to illustrate fundamental principles in physics, such as how gravitational dynamics affect the distribution and shapes of stars, galaxies, and more. Fu and the students also have plans to share the AR sandbox with schools, amateur astronomy clubs, and museums.However, the goal of Gravbox is not to make money. During the 231st meeting of the American Astronomical Society last week, Isbell emphasized that he wants the Gravbox to serve as an interactive learning tool for many others, both young and old.“Essentially, we want all of this to be open source, so anyone can go to our website , download it, look at the hardware, the specifications they need, then they can go and try to build their own,” said Mason Reed, a senior physics and astronomy major, to The Daily Iowan . “They can use our baseline model and see what they can do with it, be creative, and build their own.”