Interactive Design
Augmented Reality Prototype at Brooks Automation
Brooks Automation identified several challenges: service technicians needed clearer step-by-step guidance in the field, new technicians required more effective training tools, and the Marketing team faced high costs associated with transporting large robotic systems to trade shows.
The goal of this project was to explore how augmented reality could streamline service procedures, enhance technician training, and reduce trade show logistics costs. Using PTC’s Vuforia Studio, I developed an AR prototype that demonstrated potential solutions across all three areas and generated strong enthusiasm across multiple departments.
Objective
This prototype was developed for:
Service Technicians: to support field maintenance with interactive, self-paced guidance.
Training Teams: to provide new technicians with an immersive hands-on learning tool.
Marketing: to showcase complex robotic systems at trade shows without transporting physical equipment.
Audience
Using engineering-provided CAD data, I reformatted, cleaned, optimized, and animated the models before importing them into Vuforia Studio. Within the platform, I built a custom user interface and scripted interactive elements using JavaScript.
Service & Training Use Case:
Existing service procedures were transformed into a 3D interactive AR experience. Users could manipulate 3D models, watch embedded videos, and follow step-by-step instructions at their own pace.Marketing Use Case:
A highly detailed 3D model of a full robotic system was placed into an AR environment. Interactive hotspots triggered animations, videos, and product specifications, allowing the system to be showcased on a tablet—significantly reducing shipping and setup costs for trade shows.
Methods
Drawing on my research and experience as an Anatomy student in 2012, I recognized several challenges facing cadaver-based anatomy courses, including cadaver shortages, limited lab time, and a lack of accredited instructors. These constraints reduced students’ opportunities for hands-on dissection and highlighted the need for better preparation before entering the lab.
Around 2012, the online resources available to students did not effectively replicate the experience of a real cadaver dissection. Most provided static or passive content—images, videos, animations, or 3D models—that did little to promote active problem-solving or cognitive engagement. In contrast, simulation training in surgical education has been shown to enhance learning through interactive, task-based participation, yet such tools were not widely accessible to anatomy students.
This study reinterpreted principles of surgical simulation to create an accessible, web-based interactive resource designed to help students actively practice dissection tasks and improve their readiness for real cadaver labs.
Interactive Human Dissection
The study aimed to develop a 3D interactive dissection prototype featuring digital dissection tools, user-controlled tissue manipulation, and guided procedural steps for exploring the male and female inguinal canal. The objective was to improve upon existing resources by incorporating task-oriented interactivity to support effective cognitive learning.
Objective
This project was designed for medical students as a supplemental learning tool, enabling them to practice dissection on an interactive digital cadaver. It also allowed students to examine both male and female inguinal anatomy and compare structural similarities and differences.
Audience
The study used Materialise™ Mimics to extract 3D anatomical models from CT datasets. These models were refined and retopologized in Autodesk 3ds Max, then imported into Unity for prototype development and online deployment.
Methods