The time it takes to design a new set of sheep or cattle yards has been significantly reduced thanks to a collaboration between two businesses synonymous with rural Australia.
Metalcorp and Telstra Purple have created the Farmyard Viewer, a cross reality virtual experience.
Put simply, the Farmyard Viewer makes it possible to look at yard designs in 3D on a computer, smartphone, tablet or with a virtual reality headset.
Metalcorp national innovation and marketing manager Lester Kirkwood said rural yard designs had been hand drawn for decades before the release of this system.
He said they were often based on a conversation or a farmer's sketch "on the back of a napkin".
"These yards would often take days or weeks of backwards and forwards to seek to change and correct and finally get a design out," Mr Kirkwood said.
"We just thought there's got to be a better way in the digital world to present a better customer service and a better customer experience."
An initial briefing with Telstra Purple about viewing existing products in 3D quickly developed into the ability to present a close to final design concept in a matter of hours.
The conversation then evolved to make it possible to virtually drop designs onto a farm through the use of GPS coordinates.
Potential obstacles like trees are now able to be seen and adjustments can be made such as turning the yards to position ramp access closer to an existing road.
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Metalcorp released the Farmyard Viewer last year after trialling it in a few small regional areas.
Mr Kirkwood said the platform was user-friendly and farmers were now able to look at yard designs from the home office, in store or at a field day.
"We've got about 20 set yard systems for cattle and 20 for sheep that are the most popular, they're ready to go," Mr Kirkwood said.
"They can download those straight in and then manipulate them around on their land to suit.
"What's more flexible is they can take that and then add to it or delete from it or create a brand new one completely from the start."
Telstra Purple software development principal consultant Matt Sullivan was the senior lead on the project.
He said farmers' constant efforts to modernise and innovate was leading to an agtech revolution in Australia.
"With our deep experience in cross reality, design-led development, and agile software delivery, Telstra Purple and Metalcorp developed a virtual farmyard viewer headset and web-based app in the form of Farmyard Viewer that increases productivity and almost eliminates mistakes when planning, designing and installing yards," Mr Sullivan said.
"We're seeing just the beginning of the digital revolution in the rural sector and we will continue working to develop technologies that improve its productivity and returns."
More than 30 unique systems have been designed using the technology and with field days kicking off this month that figure will soon increase.
"If they come into our branch or see us at a field day, what's really exciting is they can put the virtual reality headset on and then walk through the yard, see how it works, climb the ramps and see it from a different perspective, which gives a better final outcome," Mr Kirkwood said.
"It's a time saving both for the customer and for our teams."
