If you stepped foot onto the RusMoloko dairy farm near Moscow, in Russia, you might think you’ve arrived onto an unusual futuristic film set, where cows run around wearing VR headsets. This is no film set, however. The VR glasses have been made explicitly for these dairy cows to improve their circumstances and enable them to relax into producing more milk.
The pressing issue of milk production led to experts from the IT world, as well as industry leaders in milk production, to work together to find a solution, which turned out to be VR goggles.
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Apart from the cows’ physical needs, the researchers also looked into their emotional state. Dairy farms around the world were studied, with a clear indication of higher and better quality milk production from those farms that had a calm atmosphere.
For example, in some American dairy farms, farmers install rotating brushes in the cows‘ stalls, which provide an alternative to massaging the animals. In Europe, farmers use robotic systems that enable the cows to roam more freely and broadly. And in Russia, some farms play classical music on loudspeakers around the farm, which soothes the cows. All of these methods have been proven to help the cows to relax and provide more milk.
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These VR goggles were carefully designed by developers in a VR studio, alongside veterinarians. The typically human-fitting VR goggles were adapted to work for cows.
The team ensured to create VR views that work with a cow’s vision, for instance, their higher perception of the color red but weaker tones of blue and green were taken into account. The virtual reality architects also designed a unique program for simulating green summer fields.
After wearing their headsets, experts recorded that the cows displayed a decrease in anxiety and an increase in the general mood of the herd. Further studies need to be conducted to determine whether or not more milk is produced by wearing the VR goggles.
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If all goes according to plan, we may end up seeing flocks of sheep, herds of cows, and sounders of swine moving about with VR goggles shortly.
What are your thoughts? Seems like a naturally calm, dairy-farmless environment (no VR goggles needed) might be best for these creatures.
