FarMR

Game logo art
An introductory tutorial on the first steps
Unity scene of the farm environment

Inspiration

Fueled by a passion for connection, our project delves into the dual realms of Mixed Reality technology and the profound role food plays in bonding and culture. As urbanization widens the gap between society and nature, our mini-game strives to make children more aware of plant upkeep, fostering responsibility and a genuine connection to the origins of their meals.

What it does

FarMR offers a real farming experience, simulating crop growth while emphasizing nutrient management. It provides a hands-on learning experience, allowing users to understand the intricacies of farming by actively managing nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium levels in the soil. Each crop's unique growth process is visually represented, enhancing comprehension, with practical activities like watering and testing nutrient values, providing a truly immersive and educational farming simulation.

How we built it

The game was developed on Unity for Quest 3 using Meta's Presence Platform. We utilized Meshy for all the 3D assets generation and ensured accurate textures for each crop stage through manual adjustments in Blender and ClipStudio. Leveraging Meta XR All-in-one SDK, we achieved precise hand tracking, enabling users to pick up seeds and wield tools realistically. The game mechanics were programmed in C#, seamlessly integrated using Unity, bringing together a dynamic and engaging FarMR experience.

Challenges we ran into

In terms of the theme we were going for, a challenge was creating an educational yet simple and comprehensible game for younger users. The XR technology market for children is currently fairly limited, so a goal was to invent an innovative yet entertaining way to present our idea with as little confusion as possible in terms of mechanics. However, we still wanted to present a small game challenge in the upkeep system of maintaining the individual plants the users are expected to care for.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

With how new Meta's Presence Platform is, we're proud of how quickly we were able to adapt and develop a workable prototype with a team of junior developers and designers.

What we learned

Although the game data presented may come easily to an adult, we had to learn how to simplify it enough for our intended audience to understand. This included various aspects of UI and visual cues needed to present a specific need for each plant. Because of our target audience's age range, the idea of hand tracking seemed more feasible rather than having them memorize each button's usage on the Quest's controllers. This way they can use their natural hand movements to interact with objects.

What's next for FarMR

Refining the system and crop management would be a great next step. Due to time limitations, much of the assets were AI generated and mechanics were limited. However, we would like to create our own original models and add inventory management, plus a shop option in the future.