The GeoXplorer app was created by the Fossett Laboratory for Virtual Planetary Exploration to help students understand the complex, three-dimensional nature of geologic structures. Rather than having to physically travel around the world to study specific geologic specimens, students and researchers can easily use GeoXplorer to browse thousands of 3D terrain models, learn about them, and view them in augmented reality just as they would in the real world.
Canton was a small part of present-day Guangzhou, located at the southern tip of China on the shores of the Pearl River. While only twenty acres in size, it was one of the centers of world trade from 1757 to 1842, during which the emperors designated it as the only city where Western merchants could trade with the Chinese. Forbidden to go beyond the city walls, European and American traders established merchant houses in Canton and exchanged commodities, culture, and knowledge. Using VR technologies, "3D Canton" aims to digitally reconstruct this world historical town circa 1800 both as a physical space and a cultural environment that students and faculty may interact with.