What happens when cows are equipped with gaming technology? A cattle breeder has tried it out and presented the surprising results.
This is what happened: A Turkish cattle breeder equipped his cows with VR technology. In harsh winters, cows have to stay in the barn. But the breeder wondered what might happen if he pretended to the animals that they were actually standing on the meadow?
The action is likely to remind many users of the movie “The Matrix”. Some users are already calling it the “Mootrix”.
Cows produce more milk with VR technology and are less stressed
The Turkish breeder Izzet Kocak developed the devices together with veterinarians so that the devices fit perfectly on the cow’s head (via kotaku.com). This way it should also be ensured that nothing could happen to the cows. In total, he equipped two cows with such VR devices for his test.
What is the result? The farmer can certainly consider the result a success:
- The milk production of the VR cows increased from 22 to 27 liters per day.
- Furthermore, the animals are said to be significantly less stressed than before.
Also because the test was so successful, he now wants to buy 10 more headsets for his dairy cows.
What does all this have to do with gaming? VR headsets are mainly used in the gaming sector. They create a virtual world in which the player can fully immerse themselves. This works because the VR experience reduces impressions from the real world, as the player can only see the virtual world through the headset.
This immersion in a virtual world is referred to in technical jargon as “immersion”.
Equipping animals with VR is not a new invention
The idea of improving animal production with VR is actually not new. As early as 2019, the Russian government tested VR technology with cows. This primarily aimed to increase milk production in Russia to circumvent certain sanctions on EU food.
Reports from Russia suggest that the experiment was quite successful, and farmers stated that the milk production of the cows had been increased. As with the Turkish farmer, it was also found in Russia that cows are said to feel less fear, and the herd is more peaceful than without technology.
But there are also news in the gaming sector related to VR technology. Sony finally presented the latest VR model for the PS5 at CES 2022 and also introduced an exclusive game for the console.
Sony finally reveals new accessories for the PS5 – This is PS VR 2
