Cornell University
IN-47: Innovation A

A team of Cornell researchers have created the most advanced virtual reality urban farm tour to exist. Using photogrammetry, these researchers have created a high-resolution 3D digital replica of Red Hook Farm, an urban agriculture and food justice program for residents of public housing in Brooklyn, New York. The virtual reality platform expands opportunities to learn about (urban) agriculture to people who are unable to attend an in-person farm visit and are geographically separated from the farm. Access to agriculture education will be expanded to populations that are typically excluded, including low-income urban communities. Users can interact with the virtual farm and are provided with an introduction to the farm as well as demonstrations of farming techniques and technologies, including interactive videos of the composting area, herbal and medicinal plant garden, and solar panel arrays. Users can also access interviews with community members and farmers. This virtual farm demonstration offers a ground-breaking opportunity to introduce new audiences to sustainable and equitable farms. The technology can also connect farmers facilitate collaboration to enhance farming practices.

Red Hook Farms Website: https://rhicenter.org/red-hook-farms/the-farms/

Greening the Virtual Smart City: Accelerating Peer-to-Peer Learning in Urban Agriculture With Virtual Reality Environments paper: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsc.2021.815937/full