A new program being developed by the Army Research Laboratory and using Microsoft's Kinect video game technology has turned regular sandboxes into 3-D maps. According to Marine Corps Times, it is being called augmented reality sand, and will be used to create topographical maps of battle areas.
Tech website DVIDSHub.net noted that the system made an appearance at the Modern Day Marine expo in Quantico, Virginia. According to the source, augmented reality sand takes existing processes to a new level. While military branches have used sand tables to plan tactics for years, the addition of the video game software will increase precision immeasurably. Kinect technology is shown on sand using a projector, and color codes the areas based on elevation, making it easy to create a detailed and customizable interactive map.
Marine Corps Times reported that officials hope the system will help with obstacles such as language barriers: Showing foreign soldiers small-scale maps of their terrain will eliminate having to explain complicated measurements. According to the source, if the augmented reality sand proves efficient, it could translate into larger scale projects, for example, filling a full-size gym for training exercises, or smaller scale projects like mobile applications. Currently, the program is being researched and developed.