Glass Barn Uses Virtual Reality to Tell Ag Story
The Glass Barn at the Indiana State Fair has always been about using technology to teach about agriculture. Now, a new approach gives visitors a virtual farm experience. For the past several years, visitors to the Glass Barn have been able to talk to real farmers on their farms with a 2-way, video connection. Hannah Vorsilak says this year they can also make a virtual visit, “They put on these special glasses, and you can go virtual into a hog barn. It is a 360 degree experience, so you can move your head up and down and all around and see what the inside of a hog barn looks like.”
Vorsilak says the reaction been amazing, “They really love it. I hear things like, ‘wow, this is so cool.’” She said the experience for most has been positive and adds to the understanding and appreciation of what happens on a working hog farm.
Vorsilak said feedback indicates that those who visit the Glass Barn come away learning something about agriculture that they did not know before. She told HAT, for many, a visit to the Glass Barn has become a State Fair tradition, “We are seeing a lot of repeat visitors from previous years.” Make sure you visit the Glass Barn on your trip to the Indiana State Fair.