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Long awaited, following the immense popularity of Emil Ernerfeldt's Phun 2D Physics Sandbox, we proudly present Algodoo!
Algodoo is a 2D-simulation environment for creating interactive scenes in a playful, cartoony manner, making use of the physics that we use to explain our real world. Algodoo is designed to encourage young people’s own creativity, ability and motivation to construct knowledge. The synergy of science and art makes Algodoo as educational as it is entertaining. Algodoo applies a constructionistic learning paradigm - learning by designing, constructing and exploring physical systems.
Algodoo is optimized for the Intel-powered convertible classmate PC. It utilizes the webcam to create physical models from live photos, the touch screen and digital pen input for drawing objects, and the accelerometer for virtual experiments and very direct interaction with the physical simulation. Young kids can use Algodoo for drawing and the physics make their drawings come to life. From this they can learn fundamental things about physics such as motion, forces, mass and density. Older kids can construct virtual experiments that illustrate the fundamental laws of physics such as conservation of energy and momentum. They can also build advanced and innovative machines or create an animation to tell a story.
Simulations are created using simple drawing tools and the user can interact with the simulation by click, drag, tilt and shake. Color traces, force and velocity vectors can be used to enhance visualization. Algodoo comes with models for rigid bodies, fluids, chains, gears, gravity, contacts, friction, restitution, springs, hinges, lock, motors, laser rays and optics, and utilizes novel simulation technologies and high performance numerical methods developed in the professional simulation products of Algoryx Simulation and based on academic research at Umeå university.
Algodoo is derived from Algoryx' precursor product Phun, which was made freely available for non-commercial use during the beta testing period. Phun has been a tremendous success and has generated 1.3 million downloads, over 13.000 user provided scenes, and thousands of entertaining video clips on YouTube. Among its users are kids, students, animators, teachers and science centers. The concept is off-spring from research at Umeå University, where Emil Ernerfeldt developed the first version in his MSc project at the Department of Computing Science, supervised by Kenneth Bodin at the High Performance Computing Center North.
“I wanted to create an application that brings out the creativity in people, and where anyone can implement their ideas quickly and easily,” says Emil Ernerfeldt, now lead programmer of Phun and Algodoo at Algoryx.
“A dream come true is a tool that builds upon children’s own creativity, ability and motivation to learn. What we perhaps didn’t expect was that Algodoo also would bring out the child in all the rest of us! The Intel-powered classmate PC is a very exciting platform for us to work on, both for its ruggedness and its performance and features, but even more for its business model. We believe the Intel-powered classmate PC can facilitate development of new applications in education, just like the impact the game consoles has for the entertainment sphere. This creates a new exciting market, and in the end this is very beneficial for education,” says Kenneth Bodin, CEO and co-founder of Algoryx.
“We are excited to see Algoryx utilizing hardware features of the Intel-powered convertible classmate PC design, such as the camera, touch screen and accelerometer, to make learning physics fun. Intel works with Algoryx through the Intel® Learning Series, an initiative that supports developers in designing education specific applications for the Intel-powered classmate PC. Algodoo is a great example of how members of the Intel Learning Series alliance can develop engaging and rewarding education experience for students using the Intel-powered classmate PC," says Eugene Hsu, Director of Ecosystem Enabling, Emerging Market Product Group at Intel.
Algodoo originates from "Phun 2D Physics Sandbox", which was created by Emil Ernerfeldt in his computing science MSc project at Umeå university
About Algodoo Physics
Become an inventor with Algodoo Physics - Start designing and testing your ideas in seconds. Algodoo is endless fun for any age to create, play & learn physics!
In a simulated “real” world you can build, play and make your inventions come alive. With simple drawing tools, objects like gears, motors, lasers, springs, ropes, and even water, you can test wacky ideas, build amazing machines and design cool games. Easily share your beautiful creations with friends and challenge them to use their own creative minds.
Note: This version of Algodoo comes WITHOUT features like plots, lessons and visualization of forces, velocities and momentum.
For drawing and building
Algodoo Physics comes with an abundance of tools for constructing, building and creating your designs.
• Use the unique Sketch tool - an all-in-one tool with gestures for multi drawing and editing - that makes your workflow quick and easy.
• Or draw your creations with basic tools like Circles, Boxes, Polygons, Planes, Gears, Ropes & Chains.
• Make your inventions truly unique by adding physics like Springs, Axles, Thrusters, Lasers, Fixates and Tracers.
• Edit and interact with your creations using tools like Scale, Rotate, Move, Cut and Drag.
• For even more editing you can make water, set collision layers, group objects, add mechanics, etc, to your different components.
For design and final touches
The Algodoo world is colorful but you can easily change the look and feel in Algodoo.
• Set color for your background, water and your objects. Save your colors as different palettes for future work. You can also change the look of your artwork with pre-made palettes like X-ray, Optics, Sunset, and many others.
• Experiment with different materials in Algodoo Physics. In seconds you can set density, friction and restitution for your objects. Making them slippery like ice, heavy like gold or bouncy like a rubber ball. Algodoo comes with 9 different pre-made materials: Gold, Glass, Stone, Steel, Rubber, Helium, Wood, Ice and the Default Algodoo material.
For sharing and daring
If you want some inspiration, find scenes in “Algobox” - a library of Algodoo creations. There are more than 50 000 user-created scenes that you will find amazing, awe-inspiring and fun.
• Browse around for hours, download and play your favourite scenes, all within Algodoo.
• Sign up for your personal account and start sharing your creations. Challenge your friends to try them or dare them to build even cooler scenes.
• Rate, comment and like all scenes on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
About Algodoo for Education
Algodoo for Education is easy to use and easy to learn! Browse, load and create lessons from within Algodoo or examine your scenes with graphs and visualization of forces, velocities and momentum.
This fully interactive software allows students to benefit from the most effective method of learning – that of “learning by doing”. Algodoo for Education is therefore perfectly designed for science classes or exploring physics at home with quick and easy experimentation. Algodoo motivates students and children to explore and play with physics while having fun.
For exploring and analyzing
Algodoo for Education comes with an abundance of tools for experimenting, analyzing and educating in science.
• Request Plots to demonstrate exact changes in values and events in your scene
• View force arrows to help students understand friction, force, velocity, momentum and gravity’s effects on the things around us.
• Enhanced visualization with X/Y components for deeper analysis.
• Create, save and share your own lessons – either for your own personal use or for putting in the library for all Algodoo users to see and benefit from.
• View built-in lessons as well as those that other teachers have created and shared. Adapt them to suit your lesson requirements and complexity level. This saves time in lesson preparation as well as reduces the requirement for being an Algodoo expert in order to benefit from the program.
For teaching and learning
Algodoo for Education covers a huge variety of topics within the physics curriculum that are much easier for students to comprehend with the aid of simulation.
• Learn and teach about newtons law, kinematics, energy conservation, collisions, rotation, torque, angular momentum, fluids, optics, refraction and much, much more.
• Motivate and increase your students interest in science.
• Students themselves can “play” with the parameters and see the immediate results of their interaction.
For SMART Board and Interactive Whiteboards
Algodoo for Education is fully integrated and optimized for SMART Boards but also supports other whiteboard manufacturers systems.
SMART Board features:
• Multitouch supporting multi-user drawing, interaction and editing on SMART Boards
• Pen gestures for creating objects, interact with scenes and control simulations
• Full support for SMART Board pen colors, erasers and gestures
OS : For win 32
Language : English
Youtube presentation : http://youtu.be/8aliTaFv92E
Homepage : www.algodoo.com |
