UncleStem Builds 15-fps AR Sandbox With $20 Pico Projector and 25kg of Sand
Updated
Updated · Hackster.io · Jun 5
UncleStem Builds 15-fps AR Sandbox With $20 Pico Projector and 25kg of Sand
1 articles · Updated · Hackster.io · Jun 5
Summary
A budget AR sandbox built by UncleStem turns 25 kilograms of kinetic sand into a live topographic map, updating at about 15 frames per second as users reshape the surface.
An 8x8 Time-of-Flight sensor reads the sand’s contours in real time, while a secondhand pico projector bought for about $20 overlays blue water, green plains, brown peaks and white summits.
A failed Arduino Nano setup pushed the project to an ESP32-C3, and alignment issues led UncleStem to 3D-print an articulated mount and use four corner markers plus a zeroing feature for calibration.
The build was inspired by a UCLA research demo but replaces costly depth cameras with cheaper parts, showing a lower-cost path to interactive terrain mapping without goggles or glasses.