Role of haptics in teaching structural molecular biology

Physical models such as ball-and-stick have long been used in teaching basic chemistry and structural molecular biology. As the size and complexity of known molecular structures increases, it is difficult if not impossible to show all of their features in a physical model alone. Recent advances in automated model fabrication technology now afford physical models of more complex molecular structures. In this multi-institutional collaborative project we are creating multi-modality enhancements of such tangible models by superimposing graphical (augmented reality) information on top of the fabricated physical models, by incorporating support for voice commands, and by providing haptic feedback. The user of such an interface can request a variety of overlay representations and can interact with these virtual enhancements haptically while manipulating the physical model. This multi-modality interface appears to be quite intuitive for observing complex molecular structure. We are currently evaluating its usefulness in teaching molecular biology to high school students.