CONNECT

The CONNECT projectThe CONNECT projectInstitute of Communications and Institute of Communications and

Computer Systems,Computer Systems,National Technical University of National Technical University of

AthensAthens

CONNECT

Sixth Framework Programme - PrioritySixth Framework Programme - Priority IST-2002-2.3.1.12 IST-2002-2.3.1.12

Project Title:Project Title:

Designing the classroom of Designing the classroom of tomorrow bytomorrow by using advanced using advanced technologies to connect formal technologies to connect formal and informal environmentsand informal environments

Technology Enhanced Learning and Access to Cultural Heritage

Project No: 507844 - Duration 3 years

WHO WE ARE: 1. Institute of Communications and Computer Systems -MFOL

Laboratory (Coordinator-GR)

2. Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology (DE)

3. INTRASOFT International S.A (BE)

4. University of Duisburg-COLLIDE Research Group (DE)

5. Vaxjo University -CeLeKT Research Group (SE)

6. University of Education, Ludvisburg (DE)

7. University of Birmingham – Educational Technology Department (UK)

8. Ellinogermaniki Agogi –Research and Development Department (GR)

9. HEUREKA – The Finnish Science Centre (FI)

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10. @BRISTOL (UK)

11. Evgenides Foundation (GR)

12. European Collaborative for Science Industry and Technology Exhibition (BE)

13. Institute for Learning Innovation (USA)

14. Weizmann Institute of Science (IL)

15. Q-PLAN Quality Consultants (GR)

16. Ministry of Education (Portugal) – Department of Evaluation and Prospective Analysis (PT)

17. University of Minho (PT)

WHO WE ARE (cont.)

CONNECT: WHICH ARE THE NEEDS•Improvement of science teaching / learning, by exploring the possibilities offered by recent developments in Information and Communication Technologies.

•Create an advanced learning environment, using advanced ICT to connect informal learning strategies and formal curricular activities in science education

•Evolution from the wired to virtual wireless learning environments to support the integration of everyday “free-choice” activities with the formal science curriculum map.

•Shift from the teacher-directed learning and the dissemination of knowledge, to learner-centred curricula that promote the development of lifelong learners

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WHAT WE DO:

Activities1. Promote collaboration among researchers and practitioners

2. Increased co-operation between scientists of different fields

3. Promote the adoption of new approaches in science teaching / learning

4. Promote take-up of results – sustainability and impact

Research issues (Technological and Pedagogical)

1. Develop the new learning environment (software / hardware).

2. Design new learning activities incorporating various skills

3. Develop ICT tools supporting new learning / teaching approaches

4. Assess the educational potential in different educational settings

5. Evaluate proposed approach and identify critical success factors

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WHY WE DO IT:•Develop innovative approaches to science teaching / learning

•Design an innovative method that crosscuts the boundaries between schools, science museums, research centers and science thematic parks and involve students and teachers in extended episodes of playful learning.

•Establish a new virtual learning community

•Bridge the gap between formal and informal learning

•Explore the integration of physical and computational media for the design of interactive learning environments to support learning about complex scientific phenomena

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Main expected results and impact•Develop the Virtual Science Thematic Park an attractive learning environment allowing for ubiquitous access to educational and scientific resources

•New learning methods reforming students to independent learners

•Impact upon the fields of instructional technology, educational systems design and museum education. Contribution to standards ( e.g extensible-3D, ISO/IEC FCD 19775:200x )

• European added value and impact : A partnership that brings up together real cross-disciplinary know-how.  

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Components of the project’s system

The project will be materialized through an Augmented Reality mobile unit that will be available for students’ use offering new ways to visualize information and thus enhancing knowledge transformation procedures

The mobile AR system

CONNECT platform

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The mobile AR system A wearable processing unit (computer)

Tracking sensors to determine visitors’ exact location

A display unit (optical see-through unit: display glasses) to project/embed virtual 3-D objects onto the real environment of the museum

Wearable video camera for recording students’ learning activities

Microphone for audio communication and recording students remarks

Transmission module to mainframe computer

The mobile AR system is supported by the software tools: Recognition (tracing and identification) of individuals, groups and

objects

Natural language and speech interfaces for audio communication

Reflexive learning systems (adaptable and customizable) for reviewing experiences

Content design facilities, simulation and visualization aids

Knowledge management tools to build and manage a knowledge database

A user friendly audio-visual interface

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The CONNECT platform

The objective is to map the design artefacts into code in an object-oriented language for all the tasks and modules of the system.

The software development will be separated in two parts, one for supporting mobile’s AR system specifications and functionalities and one for supporting the virtual park’s requirements and procedures that generate the CONNECT architecture.

The virtual science thematic park will use a database system for storing and retrieving the learning material that consists of data, voice and video for the creation of the knowledge database.

The CONNECT platform will be composed by four components

the Web services the Browsing and Content Creation Tool the Upload Mechanism and the CONNECT database.

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Figure 6: The system’s architecture: The CONNECT Virtual Science Thematic Park.

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The CONNECT partnership includes a network of schools, science museums and science thematic parks, research laboratories and science and technology exhibitions. Students and teachers will be involved in repeated cycles of tests with the project advanced tool in the framework of their normal curriculum in order to demonstrate the qualitative upgrade of science teaching and learning.

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Knowledge flow: from museums to schools through augmented reality, advanced technologies and internet

Visualization of unseen physical properties

Formal and Informal Learning

Paradigm on electromagnetism: Augmented reality for the visualization of Lorentz force and electrical field

CONNECT CONCEPT

Museum mode:

(left) Real hands on experiment (right) Augmented Reality version of the same experiment wearing the device. The real exhibits are mixed in their optical view with the 3-D visual objects and representations that the system is producing and embedding into this augmented world through their glasses.

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School mode:

In this framework activities will include “virtual field trips” in which a field trip guide moves through the park or the museum, visiting the students’ favourite exhibits to demonstrate and discuss about them. The images and sound are transmitted to the school classroom, which in turn sends questions or comments back to the floor guide. The students in the classroom will have the chance to see the real exhibits mixed in their optical view with the 3-D visual objects and representations that the system is producing and embedding into this augmented world through the visitor glasses.

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Example of use: Faraday Cage shielding and electrical dischargeIn many science museums a demonstration of electrical discharge is

illustrated as an experiment exhibiting the shielding of a metallic enclosure to electrical fields.

The real exhibits are mixed in their optical view with the 3-D visual objects and representations that the system is producing and embedding into this augmented world through the students’ glasses. The Augmented Reality technique will be used to overlay on the seen image the electric field around the cage and when the electric discharge takes place the current density development.

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Real exhibit description / interaction possibilities…

• The monopole (one rod) will consist of a telescopic mechanism (a) which means that it will look like an enlarged conventional telescopic antenna (b).

• The exhibit, monopole, will not be a real antenna, it will not radiate but it will look like a real one and it will be placed on a metallic stand which will simulate the ideal conductor (earth).

(a) (b)

…Real exhibit description / interaction possibilities…

• A small “box” will stand for a frequency generator which theoretically is used for the excitation of the antenna.

Monopole(telescopic mechanism)

StandSmall box

(frequency generator)

Necessary equipment for the telescopic mechanism

• Underneath or inside the stand the necessary equipment that will give motion to the telescopic mechanism and change the length of the monopole will be placed.

…Real exhibit description / interaction possibilities…• The visitor wears the headset and through

the glasses can see the monopole, three virtual knobs and three virtual buttons.

• With the virtual knobs one can change:- The intensity of the excitation (I).- The frequency of the excitation (f).- The length of the real monopole (l).

• According to the selections and the three virtual buttons the visitor selects what he wants to be visualized: - The electrical field pattern of the radiated wave.- The current distribution in the antenna.- The radiation pattern of the antenna.

…Real exhibit description / interaction possibilities…• The electrical field pattern of

the radiated wave.

• When the selected length of the monopole is very small compared to the selected wavelength of the radiated wave (λ=c/f, c=the velocity of the light) the electrical field of the radiated wave will look similar to (a).

• When the length equals half wavelength of the selected radiation signal (λ/2=l) then the electrical field will look similar to (b).

(a)

(b)

…Real exhibit description / interaction possibilities…

• The current distribution in the antenna rod.

• When the selected length of the monopole is l=λ/4 (a).

• When the selected length of the monopole is l=3·λ/4 (b).

(a)

(b)

…Real exhibit description / interaction possibilities

• The radiation pattern of the antenna.

• When the selected length of the monopole is small compared to the wavelength of the radiated wave.

• Radiation patterns are static which means that are not time dependent like electrical field pattern and current distribution.

Conclusion

• With this exhibit electromagnetic waves which cannot in reality be seen are now visible.

• It would be nice if the current distribution could be seen using a virtual magnification of the monopole.

• It would be also easy to visualize the magnetic field.

• The monopole antenna is part of the e.m. spectrum exhibit.

• Other types of antennas could be also virtually created and their characteristics could be seen.