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3D ball with shadow representing kinetic energy.

Project ScienceSpace is a collection of immersive virtual worlds designed to aid students in mastering challenging concepts in science. ScienceSpace now consists of three worlds:

NewtonWorld provides an environment for investigating the kinematics and dynamics of one-dimensional motion.

MaxwellWorld supports the exploration of electrostatics, leading up to the concept of Gauss' Law.

PaulingWorld enables the study of molecular structures via a variety of representations.

ScienceSpace's physical interface is typical of current high-end virtual reality. Key hardware consists of a high-performance graphics workstation with two video output channels; a color, stereoscopic head-mounted display; a stereo sound system; a magnetic tracking system for the head and both hands; a 3-D mouse and menu; and a haptic vest.

The software interface relies on 3-D objects and qualitative representations rendered using polygonal geometry. Colored, shaded polygons and textures are used to produce detailed objects. These objects are linked together and given behaviors through the use of NASA-developed software that defines the virtual worlds and connects them to underlying physical simulations.

This interface enables us to immerse students in 3-D microworlds using the visual, auditory, and tactile senses. Students use a virtual hand (controlled by a 3-D mouse) and menus to navigate and manipulate objects in the worlds.

More information is available about the hardware and software used to build the virtual worlds or to view more photos extracted from the worlds.