Creating Augmented Reality USDZ Files to Visualize 3D Objects on Student Phones in the Classroom

Augmented reality (AR) is a means of superimposing artificial 3D objects over the real world via a mobile device. An AR standard file format has been recently implemented on mobile devices that current students commonly own. Here we describe three relatively nontechnical methods to produce 3D AR objects for chemistry courses and demonstrate their use as both quick in-lecture activities and as part of an extended laboratory. Preliminary in-course student assessments (32 responses out of 42 students) indicated that this technology was successfully implemented on students’ devices (100%), that it generated interest/excitement (78%), and that it helped students visualize 3D objects (81%).