Diego Cáceres, Rafael Clement, Federico Sendra, and Juan Manuel Sobral developed a virtual simulator of a laminar flow cabinet that uses natural user interfaces as their final graduation project.
According to Cáceres, the goal of the project from the outset was “to use an emerging technology (in this case, the Leap Motion device) and create something that was useful and had real-world applications.”
https://youtu.be/eM0dN3Dfvmc
Why did you decide to create a virtual simulator for biotechnology?
After setting our goal, we evaluated various possibilities. Since the Leap Motion device is a natural user interface, we saw that it could be used in different ways within the field of biotechnology.
We met with the coordinator and his team several times to discuss different ideas and possibilities. They explained to us why these booths are necessary—students need them for practice, but it’s difficult to have more than one because they’re very expensive.
We saw this as an opportunity to offer them another way to practice without having to set up additional physical booths, with all the associated costs and space requirements.
How does it work?
The simulator we created, used with the Leap Motion device, creates a virtual environment in which the user can see their hands, fingers, and movements.
This allows you to interact with the virtual objects you see on the screen—for example, by picking up pipettes and vials, transferring liquids from one vial to another, and so on. You can interact freely, either by following the rules and controls that apply in a real laboratory or by carrying out the detailed steps of a lab procedure implemented in the simulator.
What technologies did they use?
We used the Unity3D game engine to create the virtual simulator, the Leap Motion device to track the position and movement of hands and fingers, and 3D models created in Blender to virtually represent various elements such as the lab bench itself, pipettes, vials, containers, etc.
What is its market application?
It has an educational application in the market, as it allows users to train and practice the proper use of a laminar flow hood in a safe environment, without any associated material costs and without the need for an actual hood.