Virtual reality (VR) technology has seen a lot of uses in the past decade, and the latest use case is quite intriguing. A Turkish farmer is using VR headsets on his cows to enhance milk production.
With the help of classical music pieces from luminaries such as Beethoven and Mozart, the animals are producing more milk. It is a shining example of virtual reality technology having an effect on the agricultural sector.
The two cows are being subjected to calming meadow scenes with the aid of specialised virtual reality goggles. According to the farmer, Kocak, the visuals accompanied by the music have helped the cows produce 5 additional litres of milk for a week straight.
Kocak remarked that the anxiety levels of the animals went down on exposure to the virtual reality visuals. Classical music was played at a low level to bring forth the benefits. According to him, the cows have become habituated to the VR and music schedule and want to be subjected to it.
Kocak says that the animals are fond of wearing the VR goggles. He said that he had heard of similar technology being used for agricultural purposes in Russia. A few years back, VR headsets were put to the test on cows by The Russian Ministry of Agriculture.
The process being used by Kocak requires him to download visuals of green fields, along with bird chirping sounds that the animals enjoy through the specialised headsets. Kocak is optimistic about his cows enjoying what is essentially a simulation of being in a field on a sunny day, whilst they are still in the barn.
Kocak wants to include more animals in the VR experiment in the future. He plans to test out things in the summer and winter, to see the results. Kocak emphasised that the animals do get some time outside the barn.
The objective of the virtual reality tests is to get the animals prepared for milking.
Kocak currently has more than a hundred animals across three locations. His cows are able to move around freely and are tended to by on-site veterinarians. Visitors cannot visit the site as they might disturb the cows. He is trying to keep off people the farms especially after the news of his experiment gained some attention in the press.
According to Kocak, there were some individuals who wanted to visit the farm to see the cows, but he refused for safety reasons and to maintain a tranquil environment for the animals.
Kocak believes that his VR experiment can have positive impacts on both the quantity and quality of milk being produced by the cows. His farm is currently readying tests for checking the fat content of the milk being produced with the aid of VR. There are plans for initiating mass production of cheese and yoghurt in the future with the milk.
Kocak has been approached by several researchers from different parts of Europe who provided advice to him recently. He looks forward to the technology bringing about reductions in the costs of cow feeding and breeding.
