Virtual reality democratizes learning

By Roseli Andrion  |  FAPESP Innovative R&D – Imagine being able to provide every student in a school with the experience of a chemistry lab simultaneously, without the need for expensive glassware or dangerous reagents. For millions of Brazilians studying in schools without adequate infrastructure, this is no longer science fiction; it is an increasingly viable alternative thanks to the application of virtual reality in education.

Practical experience in real laboratories is fantastic, but not always available. According to the 2025 Brazilian Basic Education Yearbook, only 20.3% of public elementary schools and less than half of high schools (46.9%) have science laboratories.

In this scenario, Infinity Academy 3D, a startup incubated at the São José dos Campos Technology Innovation Park in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, began using virtual reality to supplement and increase access to hands-on learning experiences. “Creating a virtual chemistry lab would be much easier than setting up a real environment with all the necessary glassware and a specialist,” points out Lucio Garcia Veraldo Jr., the CEO and co-founder of Infinity Academy 3D. The company is supported by the FAPESP Innovative Research in Small Businesses Program (PIPE).

In addition to cost, this includes safety and versatility. “To have a biology lab, you need, say, ten microscopes. This equipment has a very limited function: it’s only used to magnify. Virtual reality glasses allow you to magnify, reduce, simulate, highlight, engage, and many other actions.”

The startup began with a virtual chemistry lab and then developed solutions for physics, biology, and robotics. Additionally, the company developed a math class set in a virtual grocery store where students learn with items such as oranges and bananas, as well as “Little Johnny’s change” — just as we did as children, but in an immersive and interactive way. The same grocery store can be used for language classes to teach about fruits, colors, and numbers.

Financial education

Before creating the labs, the company conducted a financial education study using virtual reality to observe how people behave with financial resources. The result was an eight- to ten-minute gamified experience in which participants leave their room and go to a bus stop. There, they must choose between using Uber, a taxi, or a bus.

They then arrive at a square where they interact with a bank to withdraw money. They go to a shopping mall with several stores and finally go to the cinema to watch an explanatory video about their journey. “There’s real interaction with object manipulation. In one store, they can buy a cell phone case; in another, they can buy a soda,” Veraldo describes. “The goal is to make a diagnosis based on these decisions.”

Two people worked intensively for four months to create this solution. The high level of immersion led to an unexpected discovery during the initial tests: women between the ages of 25 and 40 experienced symptoms of labyrinthitis during the experience. “In the pilot solution, it was as if the person could cross a street in an instant in the virtual environment. No human can do that, and since the participant is fully immersed, this sensation makes their brain understand that they’re actually in the virtual world.”

The science of immersion

According to research, virtual reality in education increases student engagement and motivation, as Veraldo points out. Additionally, the immersive experience facilitates the teaching and learning process, as well as the meaningful acquisition of specific content.

However, it is important to consider the age group. ”In our research, we found that, under the age of 13, the glasses shouldn’t be used because they can affect cognitive development,” Veraldo explains. “As for exposure time, the recommendation is a maximum of 15 continuous minutes. When watching a video, a class, or anything else for a long time, attention decreases.”

Despite its potential, obstacles can arise when using virtual reality in schools. Although the cost of the glasses is lower than that of complete laboratories, it still represents a barrier. Infinity Academy 3D found a solution: they retain ownership of the equipment and rent it out as needed. “If it malfunctions, we replace it and arrange for repairs.”

This strategy also helps schools that have the glasses but lack adequate educational solutions to use them. “We don’t have ready-made solutions. They’re developed for each institution according to the needs and methodologies adopted by the entity.”

Corporate environment

The startup currently creates custom educational and corporate solutions, including teaching mathematics in a virtual grocery store, training hospital staff to maintain equipment, and simulating complex operations on an industrial production line. “We do gamified simulations with zero risk and low cost. It’s possible to practice as many times as necessary, without the risk of accidents.”

Given the possibilities of the technology, the corporate market has presented many demands. “If the company wants to simulate training at height, the worker has the opportunity to practice beforehand. They put on the glasses, do the simulation, and thus realize if they’re able to perform the task.”

Infinity Academy 3D has developed solutions for various industrial sectors. One solution simulates the assembly of automotive parts. Workers wear mixed reality glasses, which combine the real world with overlaid virtual information, and receive instructions on which part to pick up, from which box, and how to assemble it. “If they try to move on to the next step too quickly, the system identifies that the previous assembly may not have been done correctly.”

There are also solutions for the healthcare sector. For instance, the company created a virtual heart that enables medical students to practice procedures. For Taubaté Regional Hospital (also in São Paulo), it developed an electrocardiograph simulator to train nurses and technicians. “The hospital’s clinical manager realized that most equipment problems were related to misuse,” says Veraldo. “With the glasses, they see everything that needs to be done in real life: pressing a button, placing electrodes on the human body, etc.”

The success of these solutions even led the startup to create a spin-off dedicated exclusively to the healthcare sector, Bioverse Solutions. “Healthcare professionals want solutions for studying the heart. They want anatomy rooms. They want a human body that’s as realistic as possible,” says Veraldo. “These are very specific demands that require in-depth technical knowledge.”

Multiplayer and artificial intelligence

Looking ahead, the startup is developing multiplayer experiences in which participants from different locations can meet in the same virtual environment. This functionality is particularly relevant in education. “It’s no use, for example, putting a student alone in an English class: this is a chat situation that includes more people in the environment. Multiplayer allows you to create real interaction situations.”

Another focus of the company is developing an artificial intelligence integration platform. After a virtual reality experience, the platform can analyze the student’s performance and offer personalized resources to help them learn more difficult subjects. “If a student scores an eight, artificial intelligence suggests resources to help them improve the 20% they didn’t learn,” explains Veraldo. “It’s a platform that personalizes education: it knows what each student needs and offers specific options individually.”

Using virtual reality in education represents a pedagogical revolution that could redefine the teaching and learning model. In Brazil, 4,600 schools have no electricity (3% of the total), 54% of public schools lack science laboratories, and only 93.4% of 15- to 17-year-olds are enrolled in school, which is below the target set by the Law of Guidelines and Bases (LDB). Therefore, innovative and low-cost solutions are urgently needed.

Infinity Academy 3D has also created Metalab3D, an integrated platform of virtual laboratories. The idea is for this environment to connect with an educational platform that uses artificial intelligence. “This way, we’ll have a solution that includes everything we wanted: virtual reality, interaction with the teacher, and a platform for personalizing education,” Veraldo describes.

The company name was not chosen at random. “We named the company Infinity because the possibilities with the technology are infinite,” Veraldo explains. When you consider that a lack of laboratories hinders teachers’ repertoire of resources and makes it difficult to engage students, the concept becomes even more tangible. With virtual reality, the only limits are those of the imagination since the glasses cost a fraction of what it would cost to set up complete physical structures.

Infinity Academy 3D’s trajectory mirrors that of many technology startups. FAPESP’s approval of the project enabled the company’s formal creation and its application for incubation at the São José dos Campos Technology Park. “We had the project approved at the same time we entered the Park. We’ve been there for three years now,” says Veraldo. At the incubator, they connected with potential customers. “If we weren’t there, we wouldn’t be connected to these projects,” the researcher acknowledges.