Coresearch

Back to Projects

Composting Simulation

VR composting simulator for Meta Quest 3, built in Unity. A virtual instructor guides you through each step, based on the INIA 2025 manual.

Status
In progress
Sector
Agrario
Role
Design and development
Period
Since October 5, 2026

Composting is simple to explain and hard to master. Moisture, temperature and timing decide whether a pile becomes fertilizer or goes to waste, and in the field mistakes show up weeks later. Traditional training relies on in-person demonstrations and manuals that don’t always reach the people who need them most.

The tool in development

We are developing a composting simulator based on the official INIA 2025 manual on agricultural waste management. A virtual instructor guides the user through 26 tasks: preparing materials, building the pile in layers, managing moisture and temperature, turning, harvesting and bagging. When the user makes a mistake, the instructor explains it and the step repeats.

The simulator will come in two versions:

  • Virtual reality (Meta Quest 3): an immersive experience where every action maps to a real gesture: grab, pour, spray, turn.
  • Web: usable on any computer or phone with a browser. It responds to a practical reality: VR headsets are still expensive, and training has to reach people who can’t access one.

Both versions will be available in Spanish and English, and the VR version will run offline.

Source: Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA). Manual para la valorización de residuos agrícolas y pecuarios altoandinos (2025). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. View the manual. Content adapted for simulation by Coresearch.

Questions we aim to answer

Once the tool is ready, we will run a study with trainees to answer:

  • How do participants accept a simulation tool for learning to compost?
  • Does the way they access it, virtual reality or a web browser, affect that acceptance?
  • Can the more accessible web version achieve results comparable to VR?

How we will measure it

We will use the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which explains technology adoption through three factors:

  • Perceived usefulness: whether participants feel the simulator helps them learn to compost.
  • Perceived ease of use: whether it is easy to move and interact in the simulation.
  • Intention to use: whether they would use it again or recommend it for training.

Participants will complete the full run in one of the two versions and then answer a questionnaire and a short interview. The simulator will also record errors, hints requested and time per stage, so we can compare what each person says with how they perform.

Why it matters

If the web version is as well accepted as VR, training could scale to more communities using devices they already own. If VR makes a clear difference, it will help decide where investing in headsets is worth it.

Behind the simulator

Every simulation is its own use case, with its own challenges. We'll be sharing some of the challenges we run into on this project and how we'll solve them, from turning the INIA manual into an interactive experience to designing for VR and web at the same time. A downloadable demo will also be available right here.

Need a simulator for your institution?

We design and build VR and web training simulators for universities, training centers, municipalities and organizations. Tell us what your people need to learn and we'll help you turn it into a simulation. Book a meeting → or write to us at contact@coresearch.studio