Overview

“Manufacturing Process Capability: Injection Moulding” is an innovative Augmented Reality (AR) educational game designed to enhance the teaching of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) principles. The project merges physical puzzle pieces with digital AR interfaces to create a hands-on, engaging learning experience for engineering and design students.

Educational Foundation

The game is built on strong pedagogical research demonstrating that AR technology in educational environments can:

• Enhance students’ classroom performance
• Increase acceptance of new technology
• Boost overall learning motivation
• Improve understanding of complex manufacturing concepts

Game Design

The game features two complementary modes:

Learning Mode

In this discovery-focused mode, students can:

• Scan barcodes on wooden models using an iPad to reveal 3D AR models
• Interact with activated model buttons to explore different components
• View components from multiple perspectives in 3D
• Access detailed information about each part through double-tapping
• Learn about component name, function, and purpose in the overall assembly

Assembly Mode

This hands-on mode challenges students to:

• Correctly assemble six wooden models to form a complete workpiece
• Apply knowledge gained from the Learning Mode to solve physical puzzles
• Scan barcodes on correctly assembled parts in sequence
• View digital demonstrations of proper assembly techniques
• Earn star rewards for correctly identified and assembled components
• Complete the full process to achieve game victory

Technical Implementation

The system leverages:

• Unity Game Engine for the core experience
• Vuforia AR SDK for computer vision and tracking
• Custom VuMark technology for recognizing physical components
• Touch interaction systems for intuitive AR manipulation
• Detailed 3D models of injection moulding components

Educational Impact

The project addresses a critical need in design and engineering education by:

• Making abstract manufacturing concepts tangible and visible
• Providing contextualized learning for challenging technical concepts
• Promoting collaboration and peer learning
• Increasing student motivation through gamification
• Bridging theoretical knowledge with practical application

Team

• Linjing Sun: Code & Design
• Ruiqi Zhang: Code & Design