A Russian farm has decided to incorporate virtual reality into its business. The farm has given its dairy cows virtual reality headsets. The idea is to reduce their anxiety somehow. The herd wore the VR system that was designed for the ‘structural features of cow heads.’ The VR system showed a ‘unique summer field simulation program.’
Moscow’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food cited research that showed that a link exists between the emotional experience of a cow and its milk yield. The initial tests concluded that this approach did boost the ‘overall emotional mood of the herd.’
As per a statement from the ministry, the experiments took place at the RusMoloko farm located in Moscow’s Ramensky district. The statement read, ‘Examples of dairy farms from different countries show that in a calm atmosphere, the quantity, and sometimes the quality, of milk increases markedly.’
Researchers will continue studying the effects of the program in a long-term study. The developers have also said that they hope to expand the project, given that it continues providing positive results. What do you think of this? Should we be focused on providing the cows an artificial reality to increase their milk yield, or should we rather focus on providing them with an actual place that makes them feel more relaxed and safer?
Do let us know what you think about this and be sure to share this with your friends and family members.