Shortcuit

Inspiration

Our inspiration for this project came from the collective struggles we faced in understanding the intricate dynamics of electrical currents within a circuit when we sat in our physics classes. Recognizing the challenges many others also encounter in grasping these concepts, we set out on this journey with the goal of providing a solution. We aim to assist individuals who, like us, have experienced difficulties in understanding how electrons move and change within a circuit.

What Shortcuit does

Shortcuit serves a dual purpose: not only does it provide an interactive educational tool for visualizing circuits in augmented reality, but it also offers a testing environment akin to popular circuit simulation tools. Users can place virtual circuit elements in real time and observe the flow of electricity within the augmented reality environment. Furthermore, the application allows users to test the circuit, similar to widely used circuit simulation tools, enabling them to predict and analyze the behavior of circuits without the monetary risk involved in the physical world.

This versatile functionality makes Shortcuit applicable across various scenarios, from educational settings, where it can serve as a valuable learning aid, to professional workplaces, offering a practical and intuitive tool for prototyping and testing circuits before physical implementation.

How we built it

The project is built upon the powerful combination of Reality and ARKit technologies. Leveraging these tools, we created a platform that empowers users to seamlessly place virtual circuit elements into their physical surroundings. This real-time interaction enables individuals to witness firsthand how electrical currents traverse the circuit, offering an immersive and educational experience. Additionally, the testing functionality involves integrating principles similar to popular circuit simulation tools, providing users with a virtual testing ground for circuit prototypes.

Challenges we ran into

Shortcuit, our journey into Augmented Reality, began with uncertainty. Our team had no experience with the tech stack and there was a huge learning curve with mobile AR, Unity, and Realitykit. In this past 36-hour sprint, we struggled with difficulties we had never encountered before with 3d models to even download speeds. Shortcuit emerged not just as an AR app but as a testament to our resilience, turning hurdles into stepping stones.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We take pride in successfully integrating some educational and testing features into a cohesive and user-friendly application. Our achievement lies in developing a tool that not only aids in understanding circuit concepts visually but also provides a practical testing ground for users to validate their circuit designs.

What we learned

Throughout the development process, we gained valuable insights into the complexities of combining augmented reality with circuit simulation. We deepened our understanding of AR frameworks, image detection, real-time updates, and user interface design, honing our skills in creating an immersive and educational experience.

What's next for Shortcuit

Looking ahead, we plan to further enhance Shortcuit by incorporating additional educational features, expanding the range of supported circuit components, and refining the testing functionality. Continuous user feedback will guide our efforts as we strive to make Shortcuit a comprehensive and indispensable tool for learning and prototyping circuits.

Other

The hardware used and the target platform: IOS, Mobile AR

The development tools used to build the project: XCode, Reality Converter, Unity

SDKs used in the project: IOS 17.0 SDK

APIs used in the project: SwiftUI, RealityKit, ARKit

Any assets used in the project: 3D electronic components developed during hackathon. (Shown in demo video)

Any libraries used in the project: ARKit

Built With

• arkit
• realitykit
• swift
• swiftui