Overview

edu_MRSIVE is an open, cross-device mixed reality (MR) platform developed to support collaborative STEM learning activities in both co-located and remote settings. It directly addresses a key barrier to MR adoption: technological fragmentation, in which devices often operate in isolation, forcing costly parallel development and excluding learners who lack the “right” hardware. edu_MRSIVE enables participants to join the same learning session using heterogeneous devices (from high-end AR to more affordable VR headsets and conventional desktops/laptops), thus supporting collaboration regardless of hardware constraints.

edu_MRSIVE is designed to be scalable across STEM topics and educational levels. To demonstrate the platform’s capabilities, a solar energy module was implemented, enabling users to collaboratively explore how environmental variables affect photovoltaic output, examine solar panel layers, and visualise electricity generation at the microscale, using MR to interact with 3D representations and to experiment with scenarios that are difficult to reproduce in the classroom.