With the aim of showcasing all the possibilities and tools that the metaverse offers to agribusiness managers, Cocriagro Hub and startup XSpaces organized the Metaverse Experience on June 23rd at the hub's headquarters in Londrina, Brazil.
Approximately 20 farmers and innovation managers had the opportunity to experience a new way of interacting on the internet through cutting-edge devices that blend virtual and augmented realities. "This virtual universe is highly valuable for agribusiness and can offer several usage options such as employee training and development, simulation of field activities like planting, management, and harvesting, analysis of agricultural data, trade of inputs and products, and immersive consumer experiences," explains Tatiana Fiuza, Head of Innovation at Cocriagro.
One of the problems the market is going through here is the lack of qualified labor. With virtual reality, it is possible to train this workforce in the real world and, after that, do operational training on the equipment they will use. As we are talking about the time of heavy machinery working on initial training, with virtual reality we will save time, fuel, useful life of the equipment, among other things. In addition, of course, this initial training does not need to be made long trips, which also costs time and money
According to Ricardo Matiello, CEO of XSpaces, the event allows participants to understand the technology within the professional world of their respective fields. "They can gain insights into the possibilities that the metaverse brings to their professional environment. It's an immersive experience where they go beyond accessing the internet through screens and literally step into the virtual environment."
Matiello provides an example of how the technology can be used in agribusiness, mentioning a scenario where an agricultural equipment technician can undergo remote training using augmented reality glasses to access a 3D object he needs to operate, assemble, or repair.
It is useful technology for operators who often need to do repairs on the farm. Instead of moving a technician to the farm to make a simpler repair, the farm operator can learn how to change a part, attach a sensor, without the need for a person to come from another location just to attach this part. There are countless other ways of using virtual reality for training, such as adjusting a planter, for example.
Daiana Bisognin, CEO of FB Group, highlights the numerous possibilities that the metaverse brings. "Now we need to present it to our employees and clients and see how we can implement it first."
Bruno Coleto, Systems Analyst at Integrada Cooperative, expressed how the event provided a realistic view of the potential applications of the metaverse in his daily work. "It's an immersion into the virtual universe where we can be in different places and with different people in real time, with the experience of a face-to-face meeting."
Additionally, a program was organized for children and participants' offspring, hosted by Happy, a programming school that created a game specifically for development during the event.
