In this article we will highlight 3 usages of the Merge Cube. Highlighting the way it is revolutionizing the way learning and education is occurring in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The Merge Cube is a digital learning platform that uses extended reality to revolutionize how STEM is taught and learned. It features over 1,000 holographic teaching objects and over 100 interactive science simulations.
The extended reality of the Merge Cube is achieved using a smartphone or tablet scanning the cube, using the intricate design inlays to track its position, rotation, and orientation. In other words, the Merge Cube is a digital canvas with endless possible holograms to be experienced and interacted with.
Three use cases of the Merge Cube:
For example, with Merge Explorer, students can dissect a virtual frog having its biology spring to life, or hold our spinning Earth in the palm of their hand overlaid with facts and information as it rotates with Merge HoloGlobe. The Merge Explorer turns STEM into intractable learning that, when paired with the Immersive Reader from a partnership with Microsoft, blends reading, touching, and watching for an improved educational experience.
In particular, the ‘Stamping’-tool lets students pin the AR objects in mid-air and interact with the object to enhance or reveal more information about the 3D object.
The Merge Cube makes designing in 3D easier as students can interact and mold their designs to be displayed on the holographic Object Viewer. This develops their spatial and creative skillset as their 3D objects can be iterated upon mirroring the entire design process. One excellent add-on to realizing this is CoSpaces’ Merge Cube Mode.
Designs can even be sent to a 3D printer, producing students’ creations to be held physically and displayed on their shelves at home.
In fact, the natural and intuitive way of interacting with the Merge Cube engages and trains the senses of vision, hearing, movement, and touch. For example, a study from 2021 fully validated (with over 80 percent validity) the Merge Cube as a visual learning tool.
The Merge Cube by itself is the future of learning and playful engagement with the STEM field, but combined with the two Merge Licenses – Merge EDU Classroom license and Merge EDU Schoolwide license – is when the Merge Cube comes into its own. These licenses will unlock the full potential of the Merge Explorer and Object Viewer while also providing the Teacher Dashboard, enabling teachers to manage student accounts, share activities, and track students’ progress.
Jakob Pii is Writer at VR Expert and currently lives in the UK. He started his career in VR gaming in 2015 and has stayed in XR since, from exposure therapy in VR to 360-degree video documentaries. He is fascinated by how emerging technologies change how we live, play and work.