The Ross Soil and Water Conservation District will be showing off its new augmented reality sandbox at the Ross County Fair. Engineering Technician Chris Pancake calls the sandbox a “high-tech, hands-on display.” The model uses video gaming technology to depict a virtual landscape on to a sandbox instead of a screen.
Kids can play in the sand, shaping hills and valleys, and virtual water behaves the way water does on an actual landscape. Pancake knew it would be a hit here. “I saw a sandbox at the Farm Science Review last year and I knew right away this would be a good hands-on tool to teach the principles of topography, landscape and runoff. Kids can see what a watershed is and see what water runoff does,” Pancake explains. Pancake calls those lessons an early introduction to land use planning.Fairgoers can see the augmented reality sandbox in the Ross County Engineer’s tent located near the bandstand at the fairgrounds.
Conservation district administrator Bob Neal says, “we want to thank Charlie Ortman and the Ross County Engineer’s office for sharing their space again.” Neal invited fairgoers to stop by the engineer’s tent for free Ross County grown popcorn and free Miracle-Gro gardening giveaways from the conservation district.
Since the district’s regular board meeting date fell during fair week, the Ross Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors will move its regular monthly meeting to August 15’th at 8:00 a.m. at the District office in the Ross County Service Center
.Ross County residents can find out more about the Ross Soil and Water Conservation District at their website www.rosscountyswcd.org or by calling 740-772-4110 or visiting the district office in the Ross County Service Center.