Lab Safety Simulator: Chlorophyll Extraction

Game Mechanics

The objective of Chlorophyll Extraction is to achieve a score of 100% while demonstrating safe lab procedures during a chlorophyll extraction lab exercise.

In order to do so, the user must follow all necessary safety precautions (50%) and successfully extract chlorophyll from three samples (50%). Safety precautions include familiarizing oneself with the standard operating procedures, lab safety requirements, workers' rights, chemical data sheets, and equipment handling instructions, as well as proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and handling chemicals in the fume hood. The actual process of chlorophyll extraction involves transferring sample fluid into a beaker, washing the sample with acetone, transferring this sample into a cuvette, and analyzing the sample quality via spectrophotometer.

In addition, it is possible to lose percentage points by triggering an incident. Improper behaviour from the user can lead to a fire or chemical spill, which necessitates resolving the situation and stamping an incident report afterwards (the lost points are recovered upon completion of these tasks). The user is also susceptible to breaking large glassware, which incurs an unrecoverable percentage point loss.

The user is able to leave the exercise at any time by either pulling the fire alarm or pressing the Complete button atop the score clock. In both situations, the user will be redirected to the main menu, where they can either begin the exercise again or quit the application.

Chlorophyll Extraction is a room-scale experience, meaning that the size of the virtual environment resembles the size of the user's physical play area. We recommend a minimum play area of 6 feet by 6 feet in order to ensure that all relevant areas are accessible via walking, as no artificial locomotion methods were implemented for this experience.

Button Mapping

If the user hovers their virtual hand over an interactable object, then the object will highlight in either yellow or cyan. The user can manipulate the physical position of objects highlighted in yellow (e.g. clipboards, glassware, desk drawers, acetone bottles), while objects highlighted in cyan can only have their states manipulated (e.g. computer button, faucet handles, eyewash handle).

Left / Right Hand Triggers (Grips): Press and hold to grab objects highlighted in yellow.

Left / Right Index Triggers: Press to alter the state of objects highlighted in cyan, or invoke functionalities on certain yellow-highlighting objects (e.g. MSDS binder, fire extinguisher, pipettes, acetone bottles) that are already in-hand.

PLEASE NOTE: This project was created by myself and a research colleague, Wil J. Norton, as a contractual obligation for the Faculty of Science at the University of Regina.  The University of Regina possesses all intellectual property pertaining to this specific project, and reserves the right to vet whoever may request to download and play it. This is why the downloadable APK is currently hidden. Please send me an email at [email protected] if you're interested in playing Chlorophyll Extraction.