Labmation builds an interactive lab that teaches one concept, such as how camera focus works, and runs it in your browser inside a secure sandbox. You describe the concept in a sentence, the AI builds the lab, tests it in a real browser and refines it, and you share the finished lab by link. Learners then explore the idea by moving, clicking and adjusting rather than by reading about it.
This guide covers what a lab is, how to create one, which topics work well, how to use labs in teaching, and why the sandbox keeps them safe.
What a Labmation lab is
A lab is a small interactive simulation focused on a single idea. The sample on the Animation studios hub, opened with Open the sample lab, shows camera focus: an exploded view of the lens, light rays travelling through it, the focal plane and the aperture. Learners change one thing and immediately see what happens to the others. That “change it and watch” loop is what makes a lab stick in memory in a way a paragraph or a static diagram often does not.
Labmation is interactive, not a video; it is listed among the interactive styles on the Animation page alongside Popbook.
Creating a lab, step by step
- Open Animation and choose Labmation.
- In What should we explore? write the concept as a question. The app’s own examples: “How does camera focus work?” or “What does the solar system look like to scale?” If you need inspiration, Suggest an idea with Sam proposes one.
- Set the Language of the labels and explanations.
- Check the estimated cost and press Create.
- Follow the progress. One of the stages reads “Testing the lab in a real browser and refining it”: the lab is tried out and improved before it reaches you.
- Open the finished lab, use Fullscreen, and try every control yourself.
- Press Share and Copy link to send it to learners.
Choosing a good topic
The rule is one concept per lab. A lab that tries to cover “optics” will be shallow; a lab about “why a smaller aperture gives more depth of field” can be excellent. Good topics share three traits: there is something to adjust, the effect of that adjustment is visible, and the relationship is hard to grasp from text alone.
- Physics: how a lens focuses light, how a pendulum’s length changes its period, how a lever trades force for distance.
- Astronomy: the solar system to scale, why the Moon has phases, why seasons happen.
- Biology: how the pupil reacts to light, how a heart valve directs flow.
- Mathematics: how changing a slope moves a line, what a sine wave’s amplitude and frequency do.
- Everyday technology: how camera focus works, how a gear ratio changes speed on a bicycle.
Weak topics are lists of facts (“the capitals of Europe”) or opinions, where there is nothing to manipulate. For values and stories, use Popbook instead.
Writing the prompt
- Phrase it as a question the learner would ask: “Why…”, “How does…”, “What happens when…”.
- Name the parts you want to see. “Show the lens, the light rays, the focal plane and the aperture” gives the lab its components.
- State the level. “For 12-year-olds” or “for first-year photography students” changes vocabulary and depth.
- Say what should be adjustable. “Let the learner change the focal length and the distance to the subject.”
Using labs in teaching
Labs work best when learners predict before they touch. Ask “what will happen to the image if we close the aperture?”, collect guesses, then let someone try it on the projected lab. Afterwards, send the link so everyone can explore on their own device. Labs also make good homework warm-ups, flipped-classroom material and tools for one-to-one tutoring, and they help self-learners who want to see a concept rather than read about it.
The sandbox: why labs are safe to share
A lab is built by AI, which means it is a small piece of generated software. That is why it runs in a secure sandbox in the browser: in the app’s words, “the lab runs in your browser inside a safe box”. The sandbox keeps the lab contained and separate from the rest of the page, which is what makes it reasonable to hand a generated lab to a class of learners. Before a lab is delivered, it is tested in a real browser and refined, which catches most problems before you see it.
Sharing and visibility
Under Visibility choose Private (only you can see this lab) or Public (anyone with the link can use it without signing in). Learners do not need an account. Stop sharing closes the link at any time. A shared lab shows “Made with Yeşilçam Studios” and a “Try it yourself” invitation for visitors.
Animation, including Labmation, is available on the Free plan. Every lab has its token price shown before you start and is settled against real usage afterwards; see animation cost and refunds.
Frequently asked questions
What is Labmation? A Yeşilçam Studios style that builds an interactive lab teaching one concept, running in a secure sandbox in the browser and shared by link.
Do students need an account to use a lab? No. A lab set to Public can be used by anyone with the link without signing in.
Is it safe to open an AI-built lab? Labs run inside a secure sandbox in the browser and are tested in a real browser before delivery.
Can one lab cover a whole subject? It is designed for one concept. For a subject, build a series of focused labs.