Virtual reality (VR) is going from strength to strength, and bar a few forays into the gutter, people are finding some interesting uses for the new technology.

As it becomes more immersive and engaging, it’s also inspired some really out-the-box thinking.

You can now attend church in virtual reality (but why would you want to?), and if you’re a Russian cow, virtual reality goggles could help decrease anxiety.

CNN reports that Russian farmers are experimenting with VR to see if it helps milk production in dairy cows.

A team of developers, with the help of veterinarians and consultants for dairy production, made some oversized VR glasses for cows. They adapted the human versions to account for cows’ different head shapes and eyesight, the news release says. And then voila! Cow VR glasses.

And what were these cows experiencing with their new VR glasses? A wild, expansive field beneath the summer sun. A cow’s (virtual) paradise.

So far it’s unclear whether the glasses have actually helped milk production, but the first test did reveal that the cows are a lot more chilled, with a decrease in anxiety and an increase in the overall emotional mood of the herd.

It makes sense. Being transported out of a stressful work environment to a nice field would probably decrease my anxiety levels as well.

More work needs to be done to determine the effectiveness of the glasses on cows, but so far things look promising.

[source:cnn]