Orbit Sim
Orbit Sim is a paper-based tangible interface that brings to life users’ drawings of a sun and an orbiting body. Requiring only paper cards, paper markers, and a device with a camera, users explore Kepler’s Laws in the real and digital world. In Orbit Sim, users first draw a sun, an orbiting body, and a focal point on paper cards. They move their cards within a boundary set by paper markers. The cards' positions set the orbital parameters. Users take a snapshot of their drawings on the online application, where computer vision (CV) algorithms detect and process the drawings. The application uses Kepler’s Laws to calculate the orbit geometry and speed, providing an accurate simulation of the orbit the user created. We have hosted Orbit Sim in introductory astronomy undergraduate classes for non-majors. Instructors and students valued the application’s creative aspects and felt that it helped them visualize spatial relationships.
Orbit Sim introduces a new open-ended way to teach Kepler’s Laws with users’ own creations. This project utilizes a low-cost, paper-based tangible interface to introduce young learners to a core astronomy concept of Kepler’s laws. Learners are able to physically manipulate paper cards to explore and understand spatial relationships between representations of cosmic bodies. Further, the opportunity to sketch their own sun and orbiting bodies offers them the opportunity to customize their educational tool to make it more personally meaningful.
