A farm in Turkey has started using the VR viewers on cows so that they can produce more milk thanks to the vision of a beautiful and relaxing virtual sunny lawn. The first results of this experiment were positive, although the idea of having cattle live in a metaverse is somewhat controversial and could be debated.
These VR headsets for cattle, like the one in the image below, were made in Russia in collaboration with veterinarians who made sure their use was safe for the animals. Turkish farmer Izzet Kocak recently decided to test this technology on two cows on his farm. Since cattle are forced to live trapped in metal cages during the winter, the idea was to give them a relaxing landscape, thereby reducing stress and thus increasing milk production.
As mentioned above, this bizarre experiment has apparently been successful, with Kocak claiming that the two cattle now produce 27 liters of milk per day on average, compared to 22 liters previously. The farmer, who previously also tried to play classical music to relax his herd’s 180 animals, said he was thrilled with the results and now plans to buy 10 more VR headsets for his cattle.
“They wade a green pasture and that gives them an emotional boost,” Kocak said. “They are less stressed.”
As he points out Kotaku, this experiment is worryingly reminiscent of the Matrix: living beings who are unconsciously forced to live in a metaverse while producing resources, in this case milk, for those who keep them in captivity. A comparison all in all apt.
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