An Augmented Reality Tool for Teaching Application in the Agronomy Domain

Abstract

Nowadays, the combination of new technologies and the use of mobile devices opens up a new range of teaching–learning strategies in different agricultural engineering degrees. This article presents an augmented reality tool that allows for improved spatial viewing for students who have certain difficulties with viewing graphic representations of agronomic systems and devices. This tool is known as ARTID (Augmented Reality for Teaching, Innovation and Design) and consists in a free-access mobile application for devices using the Android operating system. The proposed method provides each exploded drawing or overall drawing with a QR code that can be used by students to view their 3D models by augmented reality in their own mobile devices. An evaluation experience was carried out to assess the validity of the tool on different devices and the acceptance and satisfaction level of this kind of resources in subjects of graphic expression in engineering. Finally, an example of application in the agronomic domain is provided by the 3D virtual model of portable ferticontrol equipment that comprises the different structures and tanks, which, if viewed by conventional graphical representations, may entail a certain level of difficulty. Thanks to this tool, reality can be merged with the virtual world to help favour the understanding of certain concepts and to increase student motivation in agronomy studies.