Augmented Reality Brings Water Science to Life
/Kim Byers – Communications Specialist, Alabama Water Institute/
/ September 23, 2025 /
This fall, students at Woodland Forrest Elementary School returned to class to find a surprising addition to their STEM classroom: an augmented reality sandbox that transforms piles of sand into rivers, mountains, and flood simulations at the touch of a hand.
The innovative tool, known as the TopoBox, is on long-term loan to the school thanks to an educational partnership with the Alabama Water Institute (AWI). The TopoBox allows students to manipulate sand to create topographical features like mountains and valleys while computer sensors and overhead projection systems provide real-time visualization of elevation changes, water flow patterns and potential flood scenarios.
“Beyond being inherently hands-on, which is the best way to instill deep learning, the TopoBox is also very visual, allowing for different modes of connecting with a complicated topic,” said Marie Wilson, AWI’s education outreach coordinator who developed accompanying curriculum materials.
For AWI, the partnership reflects a larger mission: preparing the next generation to tackle global water challenges. “Woodland Forrest Elementary was selected specifically because of its STEM certification and commitment to hands-on science education,” said Lanna Nations, AWI’s research education and outreach director.
AWI also designed the partnership to benefit the wider community. Other schools will have opportunities to visit for special STEM field trips, expanding the reach of this single piece of technology well beyond one classroom.
AWI has also developed K-12 curriculum materials to accompany the sandbox system and plans to conduct classroom visits to expand on lessons and demonstrate connections to the institute’s broader water security research.
Through initiatives like the TopoBox, AWI is bringing water science to life for the next generation, inspiring students to understand, protect, and one day innovate around the world’s most essential resource.
For more information about the Alabama Water Institute and its educational outreach programs, visit awi.ua.edu.