Moscow-area farmers strapped modified VR headsets to cows to see if it improved their mood -- and, of course, their milk production. The project subjected cattle to a simulated summer field with colors tuned for the animals' eyes, giving them a decidedly more pleasing landscape than a plain, confining farm. And yes, the headsets were adapted to the "structural features" of cows' heads so that they could see properly.

The first test reduced the cows' anxiety and boosted their overall sentiment. While it's not certain how well this affects the quality or volume of milk, there are plans for a more "comprehensive" study to answer that question.

The research begs a few questions. Why not just put the cows in fields more often? How do you deal with battery life? And is there a risk of disturbing cows when you take their headsets off and show them dreary reality? In a sense, it's a solution to a problem humans have created. Those issues aside, this could be an option for farms where summery fields just aren't available, or where existing techniques (like piping in pleasing music) might not be effective.

sources: engadget, themoscowtimes, mosreg.ru

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4 years ago

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Poor cows are going die when those headsets come off :(

On a more serious note that would be interesting if it does help produce better/more milk.

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Some gaming magazine rounded it up nicely with "basically The Matrix for cows" xD

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Real world problems, eh. If it's such a bother to let them be themselves, or if they're so unhappy, maybe it's you farmers that need the VR.

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This doesn't simulate the scratching that cows love though

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4 years ago
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omg <3<3

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A lot more where that came from at https://www.reddit.com/r/happycowgifs :D

4 years ago
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Poor cows. :(
Makes me think of this old animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCeeTfsm8bk

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And that's why we sit in front of computer or TV screens all the time ;)

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To produce more milk?

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Dependant on gender of course :D

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cow will have to produce a fuck ton of milk to offset the price of a vr set.

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Just give VR headsets to farmers to make them think they have enough milk everywhere.

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shake my head

We don't need MORE MORE MORE milk from a cow.

They aren't a factory, they are a lifeform.

At Bio (so higher standards in this case the second highest standard of german Bio label called "Naturland") farms a cow have to deliver ~40 Liters/day. They get power food (pellets) for that as addition to the normal food. If they have 2 or 3 bad weeks with "only" 20 Liters they get slaughtered. Thats no joke, one of my ex girlfriends worked at such a farm.

As long as we can't deliver them the respect they earn if we eat them or not is not important for this we don't earn what we get.

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im curious how it might look if the cows start playing beat saber on their VR headsets

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The pro players in every single game are cows. Just like the members of the Illuminati. Vegetarianism is their propaganda too. They will take over the world!

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Oooh, Cow-Matrix. What will they do next? Strap them up and feed them with IV to reduce fodder costs?

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I resent that: Humans aren't cows, we are sheep

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