Thesis defences are in full swing at Altai State University, including presentations in the Startup as a Diploma format.

Fourth-year students from the Institute of Mathematics and Information Technology, Svetlana Volkova and Ekaterina Semenchenko, have proposed an intriguing development for a potential technology startup.

The students are developing a VR application that simulates routine maintenance of agricultural machinery. The simulator will help companies lower training-fleet maintenance costs by eliminating the risk of equipment damage and staff injury. It is designed to reinforce theoretical knowledge of K530-T tractor maintenance procedures before practical sessions and to provide an objective assessment of acquired skills.

This project was made possible thanks to a special VR and Augmented Reality Application Development Lab (Altai State University VR Lab) opened at Altai State University.

Denis Kozlov, Head of the Computer Science Department at Altai State University and supervisor of the thesis startup, says:

"The VR lab was opened at our university in 2024 thanks to the Priority 2030 program and became the region’s first research centre for developing virtual reality applications. Our lab is well equipped: we have seven VR headsets with the latest lens formats, high‑performance computers, a 360‑degree camera, and specialised software to support ambitious IT projects. The lab has become a true draw for students interested in virtual reality, game development, and simulator creation. Schoolchildren also attend courses here. Naturally, the VR lab’s facilities and equipment enable Altai State University to undertake commercial projects as well."

Svetlana Volkova, a student at the Institute of Mathematics and Information Technology, describes the project in more detail:

"The simulator we developed is intended for educational institutions and for direct use by companies that operate and service agricultural machinery. We found that modern agricultural colleges, technical schools, and universities face several challenges when training tractor drivers. On the one hand, educational institutions bear the costs of maintaining training equipment, while on the other hand, there is also a risk of damage caused by students. A single mistake can require costly repairs to components and assemblies, which sometimes amount to hundreds of thousands of rubles. Moreover, working with real machinery carries a risk of injury to students. At the same time, theoretical courses cannot provide sufficient practical experience. Our VR simulator addresses these issues."

The laboratory has also developed several other notable VR simulators: one for assembling and disassembling a Kalashnikov assault rifle; a simulator for training investigators in remote fraud detection (an interdisciplinary project by Altai State University mathematicians and lawyers, funded by a rector’s grant); a simulator for composing Chinese characters from graphemes; a 360‑degree film about the Tigirek Nature Reserve; a VR tour of Denisova Cave (an interdisciplinary project by mathematicians and geographers); and others.

Denis Kozlov adds:

"In addition to the VR simulator for tractor maintenance procedures, the laboratory is currently developing a project to simulate a jury trial in collaboration with the Law Institute. Plans for 2026 include a VR simulator to teach geography students about geological processes, in cooperation with the Institute of Geography."