I am writing this blog with one eye on my keyboard and the other watching for any news updates on Covid-19.

Just when we thought everything was going well for us, we have seen a large increase in the number of Covid-19 cases, most of which are under 45 years of age. The government announced, almost two weeks ago, new restrictions that are to last until September the 13th. Up to now things have not improved. Can we afford another lockdown? Hopefully it will not come to this.

Because the virus has not gone away, the amount of online engagement is now increasing. Many people are still working from home. Some companies are offering incentives for their employees to work from home as it saves on office rental space. Will this have an effect on the domestic garden equipment sector, now that more people are staying at home? Time will tell.

I recently read about a project that is in the early stages of development. It is a virtual reality training programme in agricultural mechanisation. Electude is a Dutch company that specialises in automotive e-learning. They have teamed up with Tim Europe to develop agricultural machinery and vehicles as part of their virtual training, which includes practical training. They hope to transform practical teaching modules from mobile equipment into a virtual environment and link it with the Erasmus + project.

I’m trying to get my head around the idea of how mechanical training in agricultural equipment can be done online. In normal times, students would put on their overalls, have oil on their hands and get dirty to try and diagnose problems with engines, mechanics and electrics, while their teacher guides them through the process.

Tim Europe's wish is to create a virtual, game-like environment that helps students with the practical part of the mobile equipment training, offering digital teaching programs that are performed with virtual reality glasses. It will be completely in 3D with almost unlimited possibilities in terms of failures and diagnostics. The idea is that it should feel as if the student is in a workshop where tools, machines and vehicles are installed. The glasses register the student’s movements and actions.

Koen Berends from Electude says, “All conceivable and unlikely malfunctions can be simulated in a program. Tools and measuring equipment, such as a multimeter, really work.

“It is not a picture of a multimeter, it IS a multimeter. You operate it yourself and it shows the values exactly as in a real situation”.

Getting young apprentices into formal agricultural mechanical training has been difficult over the last few years. There is a shortage of trained mechanics in Ireland. This European project sounds very exciting and could be the answer to getting more students into formal training. Maybe online learning will be the way of the future? It is in the early stages of development and could take a few more years to complete. The hope is that it will be available to many European countries and in different languages. Something to watch out for.