An AR-based support system for self-study of solar orbit

This article proposes a self-study system with Augmented Reality (AR) technology, which helps learners in junior high school promote their knowledge on the axial tilt, rotation and revolution of the Earth, one of learnings in astronomy. Manipulating the sun, celestial sphere and earth shown on correlated box-type markers, the learners with transmissive head-mounted display (HMD) can see the solar orbit as if they are actually at the specified location on the earth. Providing both of easy operability and immersive sense to them, the system is expected to improve the level of their understanding about the learning. Questionnaire result of user test shows effectiveness of the hands-on system on promotion of active learning with questions, interests and curiosity. Also from the result, the learners deeply understood the solar orbit through their recognition and feeling of the change in three dimension. On the other hand, the system should be improved about better usability and more informative representation such as auxiliary lines and shading.