The "magic" textbook project has drawn much attention (Photo/thepaper.cn)

Scan a page of the textbook with your smartphone and a 3D model will appear on the screen, together with content and background music. A "magic" textbook project designed by a team from Tongji University has drawn much attention at regional finals of the Third China College Students' "Internet Plus" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition in Shanghai on July 23, 2017.

Team leader Lv Hanlin said he was inspired by his own experience. The architecture textbooks he studied at university are mostly printed in black and white and he has to search for 3D models on the Internet. He hopes AR technology will make it easier to spread knowledge.

The 3D card has adopted AR technology (Photo/thepaper.cn)

The "magic" textbooks target young people. Children are not attracted to traditional textbooks, but to popular online games like "King of Glory," which has a large number of fans who are born in 2000s. Inspired by this phenomenon, Lv packaged knowledge into beautiful 3D models to help readers enjoy the rich details.

So far, Lv's team has designed AR experiment courses and developed a Harry Potter picture book. They had also established cooperation with a high school in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. At the same time, the team is carrying out experiments in about 140 primary and middle schools and 200 community "innovation houses" across the country to improve the product.

The Harry Potter picture book (Photo/thepaper.cn)

Teachers who received AR training in Shanghai are trying to find ways to apply the technology in their classrooms to improve the education experience. "We're not trying to replace traditional education and learning patterns, but to make study more relaxing and interesting," said Lv.