Augmented Chemistry: an interactive educational workbench

We report on some of the advantages tangible interaction can bring to chemistry education. We describe the realisation of a tangible user interface (TUI) called Augmented Chemistry (AC). A set of interactive tools work within this system. Using these tools, elements can be chosen from a booklet menu and composed into 3D molecular models. The tools are one way towards seamless integration of the physical and digital realms. Since multiple tools can be used concurrently, single and multiple users can use the system at a time. To use the system in an educational context, it was extended into an educational workbench drawing on haptic and aural augmentation. The design and implementation of our system required contributions from optics, mathematics, molecular chemistry, software engineering, and 3D programming, making it a truly interdisciplinary project. Future challenges lie in user acceptance, educational effect, and further system development.