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YOU CAN TURN AN OLD XBOX KINECT INTO A SANDBOX WHERE WATER REALLY FLOWS

A first-gen Xbox Kinect, a projector, and a box of sand become a live topographic map where water flows downhill when you hold your hand over it.

by Oliver Kreylos

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

ScienceDisplays

difficulty
●●●●○
time
a weekend-plus
license
GPL-2.0
repo
repo ACTIVE253 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
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COMPAREE VERDICT

The Augmented Reality Sandbox is exactly what the UC Davis team says it is: research software that works, with genuine step-by-step instructions, but it assumes you are comfortable compiling C++ on Linux and debugging NVIDIA driver issues. The effect is spectacular — the sand is coloured by height with contour lines in real time, and virtual water flows over it when you hold your hand above the box to make it rain — but you will spend more time on calibration than on the build itself. The safest sensor is the original first-generation Xbox 360 Kinect (model 1414 or 1473); newer versions of the author's Kinect package also support the Xbox One Kinect v2, but the author notes reliability issues and most builders stick with the original. Per the author's own FAQ, the hardware comes to roughly 1,300 to 1,500 dollars including a pre-built PC, or roughly 600 to 700 if you already have a suitable Linux PC with an NVIDIA card; museum-grade sandboxes can run into the tens of thousands. This is a weekend-plus project for someone who has built Linux software before and wants a permanent installation — a school, a maker space, a science museum. If you have never touched a Linux terminal or do not have a spare room where a sandbox can live, this will frustrate you. If you have both, it is one of the most rewarding open-source builds in existence.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —Full C++ source code (GPL-2.0) and a step-by-step installation and calibration guide in the README; video tutorials are on the author's YouTube channel.
  • —No CAD files — you build your own sandbox frame to hold the Kinect and projector mount.
  • —Hardware list is complete: a Kinect 3D camera (first-gen model 1414/1473 recommended), a Linux PC with NVIDIA GPU (GTX 1060 class or better), an HDMI projector, and ordinary play sand.
  • —The licence is GPL-2.0 and permits commercial use; UC Davis says they provide the software and tutorials for free.
  • —Repository was last updated in 2019 but the software still runs on current Linux distributions; community builds continue.
  • —This is not a kit — you source every part separately and the build requires calibration, Linux command-line work, and patience with graphics drivers.

Parts to buy

4 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • First-gen Xbox Kinect (model 1414 or 1473)Find
  • HDMI projectorFind
  • Play sandFind
  • Materials for a sandbox frame and mountfrom the repo files

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Can I build this?

Printnothing required
Buyfirst-gen Xbox Kinect (model 1414 or 1473), HDMI projector, play sand, and materials for a sandbox frame and mount
Toolsa Linux PC with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 class GPU or better, command-line experience, and patience for calibration
Skillsintermediate Linux system administration, C++ compilation from source, and comfort with graphics driver troubleshooting; the calibration process is well-documented but requires methodical work
Timea weekend-plus — installation and compilation take a few hours, building the sandbox and mount another few hours, and calibration can take a full day the first time
CostHigh — roughly 1,300 to 1,500 dollars in total per the author's FAQ (Kinect under 100 dollars on eBay, a pre-built VR-ready PC around 700 to 800, a projector around 500, a simple sandbox under 100), or roughly 600 to 700 if you already have a suitable PC.
SafetyProjector lamps run hot and the Kinect mount must be secure overhead. If children will use the sandbox unsupervised, ensure the frame is stable and the Kinect cable is not a trip hazard. No mains voltage work or high-risk components beyond ordinary electronics care.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

The original 2012 demonstration video 'Augmented Reality Sandbox with Real-Time Water Flow Simulation' by Oliver Kreylos (2.26 million views) shows the sandbox in action; the repository README links further calibration tutorial videos.

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Gallery

Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Confirm your Kinect model(The first-generation Xbox 360 Kinect (model 1414 or 1473) is what the tutorials are written for. The Xbox One Kinect v2 is supported by newer Kinect package versions but less proven. Check the model number on the sensor before buying.)
  2. 2.Read the installation instructions (The repository includes step-by-step guides for dependencies, compilation, and calibration. Read them in full before starting.)
  3. 3.Prepare a Linux PC with an NVIDIA GPU(For the water simulation the authors recommend at least an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 class card with the proprietary drivers. Without water simulation the sandbox runs even on integrated graphics, but the flowing water is the main effect.)
  4. 4.Build or buy a sandbox frame(The repository does not include CAD files for the frame. Many builders share their own designs; search for 'AR sandbox frame' or design your own to fit your space and projector.)
  5. 5.Follow the calibration video tutorials(Calibration aligns the Kinect depth map with the projector image and takes patience. The tutorials walk you through it step by step.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • Buying a sensor the guides do not cover — the first-gen Xbox 360 Kinect (model 1414 or 1473) is what the tutorials and most builders use; the Xbox One Kinect v2 is supported by newer Kinect package versions but is less proven.
  • Underestimating the Linux and graphics driver setup — if you have never compiled C++ software or installed NVIDIA drivers on Linux, this will take longer than expected.
  • Skipping the calibration instructions and expecting it to work immediately — calibration is mandatory and takes real time the first time.
  • Using a projector with insufficient brightness for a well-lit room — the effect works best in moderate or low ambient light.
  • Building a sandbox that is too small or too deep for the Kinect's depth range — the sensor has a minimum and maximum sensing distance, and the instructions specify these.
  • Not accounting for space — the sandbox, Kinect mount, and projector need a permanent or semi-permanent setup; this is not something you pack away after a weekend.

Can I use a Kinect v2 or the newer Azure Kinect?

The first-generation Xbox 360 Kinect (model 1414 or 1473) is the safe, best-documented choice, and the author recommends buying a used one plus its USB/AC power adapter. The Kinect v2 is supported, but the author notes reliability issues, and only first-generation Intel RealSense cameras work (not the D415 or D435). The Azure Kinect is not listed as supported.

Do I need a high-end gaming PC?

For the flowing water, yes: the authors recommend at least an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 class card with proprietary drivers, because the water simulation runs on the GPU in real time. Without water simulation the sandbox runs on almost any PC with full OpenGL, including integrated graphics.

How much does it cost to build?

Per the author's FAQ: a used Kinect under 100 dollars on eBay, a pre-built VR-ready PC around 700 to 800, a projector around 500, and a simple sandbox (a plastic tub of hardware-store sand and two tripods) under 100. That is roughly 1,300 to 1,500 dollars in total, or roughly 600 to 700 if you already have a suitable PC. The UC Davis team's own prototype cost about 2,700 dollars in materials, and a museum-grade box can run into the tens of thousands.

Can I run this on Windows or macOS?

Not on Windows: the software and the Vrui and Kinect packages it depends on run only on UNIX-like systems, and it does not run inside a virtual machine either. It does in principle run on macOS, but the author advises against it because Linux installations are more stable, so plan on a dedicated Linux PC or a dual-boot setup.

Is there a kit or pre-made version?

Not from UC Davis. The team provides the software and tutorials for free and you source every part yourself. Some vendors sell ready-made sandboxes, but the authors note they have no contract with them for support; museum-grade builds can run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

How long does calibration take?

The README describes an eight-step setup and calibration procedure (two of the steps optional), and the first full setup is the slow part. Once you know the routine, the author says a re-calibration takes a trained user about 5 minutes, using one custom tool: a CD or DVD with a paper disk glued to one side. How often you have to repeat it depends mostly on how rigid your camera and projector mounts are; a museum-grade build with good brackets can go months between re-calibrations.

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

The sandbox needs a depth camera, a projector, a reasonably capable PC and a sturdy frame. If you have built one, which part ended up costing you the most time or money?

CompareeTEAM9d agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: the SARndbox repository under the KeckCAVES account was last updated in June 2019 and is licensed GPL-2.0. The camera side is handled by Oliver Kreylos' Kinect package: the first-generation Kinect is the best-proven choice, while Kinect v2 and Intel RealSense cameras are supported from Kinect 3.2 onward (v2 initially as experimental). The best-known demonstration is Oliver Kreylos' own video on his okreylos YouTube channel, with more than two million views. Most of the setup time goes into calibration, so a rigid mount that keeps the camera and projector fixed relative to the sandbox is worth building before you start. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

Oliver Kreylos

Oliver Kreylos built the Augmented Reality Sandbox at the UC Davis W.M. Keck Center for Active Visualization in the Earth Sciences (KeckCAVES), funded by the US National Science Foundation. The project was designed as a teaching tool for geoscience and has been replicated in museums, schools, and maker spaces worldwide.

GitHub

Star the project on GitHub

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