Hold the Future of Education in Your Hands with the Merge Cube
SKM interviewed Merge CEO Franklin Lyons about the innovative Merge Cube: it provides kids with a playful way to learn many STEM-related subjects through the magic of AR and VR.
Merge CEO Franklin Lyons had the idea for Merge Cube in 2013, when he wanted to create a universal AR marker that could turn into any digital object. “I wanted to be able to hold and interact with it as naturally and intuitively as any object in the real world,” Lyons explained.
That mission has been accomplished, with so many shared anecdotes of the Merge Cube being used on Twitter and Instagram. I never in a million years would have guessed my 3-year-old’s favorite toy would be an augmented reality foam cube. But the Merge Cube is really one of the coolest implementations of smart toys I have seen.
The Merge Cube retails for approximately $25, but there’s a free printable version if you want to try it out immediately. The Merge Cube is made of soft foam (and it is this form-feature, which makes it fun for kids to play with, even without the augmented reality layer). The company Merge also offers other ways to interact with the content through the apps Merge Explorer and Merge Object with the 3D mode enabled. For older kids, there is a VR headset they can use to become fully immersed in the content.
For Christmas, I gave my son the Merge Cube. He said he loves it because “it is the only object you can hold with the iPad,” as he holds it in his hand while looking through the iPad to see the AR image over it. From learning about the life cycle of a frog to looking at human anatomy to holding DNA base pairs in their hands to going on a space trip through an astronomy lesson, each child can navigate the apps to suit their own interests.
There is even more content available on Merge EDU, which is available to both parents and teachers. Lyons recommends parents should sign up via the in-app free trial and subscription (Merge Explorer, Merge Object Viewer, and HoloGlobe), whereas teachers should sign up online for additional activities such as the STEM activity guide.
See the video below for a quick overview of how we interact with the Merge Cube daily.
Smart Kid Mag had the chance to interview Lyons about the Merge Cube and its impact in education. Merge AR and VR education is making waves in India and other countries internationally, as well as in the United States where it all began. Read our interview with Lyons below to understand more about how augmented reality is changing education and ways to help your child get immersed into this future… now.
Smart Kid Mag: Have you seen how the Merge Cube changes how kids learn at school and at home?
Franklin Lyons: Yes! It’s amazing. The Merge Cube allows students to hold and inspect digital 3D objects, allowing for a natural and intuitive way to learn. We have a large content library of digital teaching aids and simulations that let students do amazing things like hold a burning log and watch the chemical change up close as the oak wood turns to charcoal; they can freeze, melt, evaporate, and condense water as they learn about physical change; they can hold and inspect various kinds of animal skulls as they learn about the food web; and they can hold the solar system as they learn about Earth’s systems and our place in the universe; and so much more. Merge EDU makes it possible for students to learn about, and understand science and STEM concepts first hand, by actually holding them in their hands and experiencing them.
Smart Kid Mag: What content are you most excited about?
Franklin Lyons: The digital teaching aids (found in Object Viewer) give every student access to an endless shelf of hands-on resources that can be used for learning anytime and anywhere. Any 3D object can be shared using Merge Cube. This is exciting, because it removes a huge financial barrier for many schools and parents - access to these hands-on learning tools.
Smart Kid Mag: What’s your vision for the future of Merge Cube?
Franklin Lyons: We are constantly adding new educational content for Merge Cube, working to translate it into more languages, and creating more helpful resources for parents and teachers to use. We want a Merge Cube in every student’s hands!
Smart Kid Mag: What ages should parents think about getting Merge Cube for their kids? How about the VR set?
Franklin Lyons: We recommend ages 8+ for the Merge Cube because it can be tricky for younger users to manipulate the cube and the device at the same time by themselves. However, we’ve seen the Merge Cube used in classrooms as young as PreK 4 with success (the students are so engaged!), and children of all ages are fascinated by what they see and learn.
Using the Merge Headset takes the AR experience of the Merge Cube to the next level! Plus, virtual field trips are a great way to experience learning firsthand. We recommend the headset for ages 10 and up so there is a proper fit for smaller faces.
Smart Kid Mag: I saw that you tweeted about a history teacher using the VR headset for time travel. What a cool way to learn about history! Do you know of any other good examples about how it’s being used in the classroom?
Franklin Lyons: Absolutely! Virtual field trips are huge in classrooms. Whether students go back in time, travel to other countries, visit an art museum across the globe, or explore the inside of the human body, teachers see the value in the way virtual field trips help students focus on the content, and put students at the center of learning.
Smart Kid Mag: One of the things I talk to parents about is how to use technology to leverage it for learning and not to just think all screen time is bad. I’m sure you have some thoughts on this. I’ve been most into the space of using the iPad with a physical object, which is becoming the focus of this blog.
Franklin Lyons: We agree! Bringing tangables into the digital experience is a great way to go beyond the screen. Technology like augmented reality is a great way to bring the digital experience into the real world. These types of experiences are powerful for learning, because they engage multiple senses, which helps with both understanding of abstract concepts, and retention of new information.
Smart Kid Mag: I see that you’re getting a lot of traction on India for downloads? How is it being used in India?
Franklin Lyons: A lot of educators in India tend to use the Merge Cube for pre-recording video lessons to share with their students. We also see educators in India using the Merge Cube during live lessons for remote learning using zoom or similar video conferencing tools. If an educator is teaching about life cycles for example, they’ll be able to go through a frog or butterfly's life cycle step by step, showing the students each stage before moving on to the next. It’s a great visual for explaining so many concepts in science, even remotely!
Smart Kid Mag: Also do you know how it’s being used in Singapore and Asia versus how it is being used in the US?
Franklin Lyons: We launched in the US and school adoption started here. Singapore and Asia are growing quickly, but our first customers started in international schools for science. It’s also been used to help with English language learning in many classrooms internationally. Since Merge EDU is now available in 13 different languages, teachers around the world can use Merge EDU for teaching other languages, for teaching science, and for their STEM initiatives in their school.
It’s always interesting to learn more about the innovative thinker behind a favourite product. Smart Kid Mag is really glad Lyons could share more about Merge. If you decide to try the Merge Cube, you can be sure there’s a strong educational foundation behind it and it will continue to evolve. There are additional third-party apps to try like the one below.