HAVE A VIDEO YOU WANT TO FEATURE ON OUR PAGE?

Submit Video

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Not now
OK
Advert
Advert
Advert

​Russian Cows Are Being Given VR Headsets To Reduce Stress

Julian Benson

Published 
| Last updated 

​Russian Cows Are Being Given VR Headsets To Reduce Stress

Featured Image Credit: Moscow Ministry of Agriculture and Food

While you could say that virtual reality headsets are well and truly in the wild now, what with Oculus, PSVR, HTC Vive, and the Steam Index all being readily available, there's a whole new take on the term in Russia. Dairy farmers are making their cattle wear virtual reality devices to relax the bovine into a milk-producing mood.

Advert

This seems to be a story out of a 2000 AD comic, making a strange point about dystopian society, but the Moscow Ministry of Agriculture and Food has released images of the cows wearing specially adapted headsets as proof.

Udder-ly brilliant
Udder-ly brilliant

"To solve pressing problems in milk production, experts are increasingly being involved not only in specialized fields, but also specialists in the field of IT technologies," the ministry's press release states (translated via Google Translate). "The developers of the virtual reality studio, in collaboration with veterinarians and consultants from the production, adapted human VR-glasses taking into account the structural features of the head of cows. Based on numerous studies of cattle's vision, showing cows better perceiving shades of the red part of the spectrum and weaker green and blue tones, virtual reality architects also created a unique summer field simulation program."

Advert

This is still very much in the testing phase, but the ministry reports that already they're recording a "decrease in anxiety and an increase in the overall emotional mood of the herd". Though, the positive impact of the VR glasses on milk yields has yet to be confirmed.

However, what I think we all want to know is what sort of scores are the cows clocking on Beat Saber? Have they been given a run at the Batman VR experience? Do they want to try their hoof at Star Trek: Bridge Crew? Get some of those headsets linked up and you could have a sick LAN party in the cow house.

Topics: virtual reality

Julian Benson
More like this
Advert
Advert
Advert

Chosen for YouChosen for You

Steam

Steam's new free Stardew Valley-like is blowing up right now

4 hours ago

Most Read StoriesMost Read