The Virtual Reality Cotton Training Program

Virtual reality is based on the concept of ‘immersion’ — the ability to completely surround someone with sounds and visuals that transform basic training into an intense, memorable experience. Most cotton growers can’t travel the globe in person to learn about best practices, so we’re bringing the world to them.

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When a trainee puts on the head-mounted display, they can walk in any cotton field, anywhere in the world, at any point in the season, to learn global best practices. They learn how to increase their yields and study integrated pest management so they know which insects to kill and which to leave alone.

The ICAC Virtual Reality Cotton Training Program utilizes a custom-built heavy-lifting drone to get a special camera out into the field and record in what’s known as ‘stereoscopic macro 3D’. It is one of the most advanced cameras in the world, filming in 360-degree 3D with resolution eight times greater than a television, and every film is shot from six different camera angles. Those videos are then combined to create a sphere of virtual reality around the user.

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In addition, VR offers two other critical advantages:

  1. It is battery-powered and wireless, so it can be used anywhere, at any time

  2. Movies can be downloaded in advance, so no Internet access is needed

ICAC member governments have access to the Virtual Reality Cotton Training Program free of charge; non-members have to pay to access it for training.