Adelaide-made cattle-handling VR teaching tool goes global
A virtual reality experienced that teaches students how to handle cows, designed by a 成人大片 academic and local tech company Think Digital, has launched to the United States at the 97th Future Farmers of America convention in Indianapolis.
A still from the CattleVR teaching tool. Credit: Think Digital.
The tool, called , was on show for the more than 70,000 agriculture-focussed educators and students at the event.
Dr Mandi Carr, a Senior Lecturer in the University鈥檚 School of Animal and Veterinary Science, says she developed to address the high number of students with limited large-animal experience entering the University鈥檚 animal-based degrees.
鈥淲e were finding students were fearful of cattle, leading them to behave unsafely around them in the yards,鈥 says Dr Carr, who demonstrated the tech for attendees at the Indianapolis event.
鈥淒ue to the size of the animals, and the potential for injury to the students and the stress to the cattle when they鈥檙e handled incorrectly, I knew there was an opportunity to improve training.鈥
Previously, students learned about animal flight zones 鈥 the space around an animal that, if entered, will cause it to move away 鈥 through slide presentations and 2D videos, or they were taught on the job.
provides a safer learning experience 鈥 and demonstrates the practical applications of virtual reality beyond gaming.
The 成人大片's Dr Mandi Carr and Think Digital CEO Kat Bidstrup. Credit: Think Digital.
鈥淭his immersive virtual reality tool allows students to put on a headset and learn first-hand about the size of the animals, the flight zones, and how to move them safely through the yards,鈥 says Think Digital CEO, Kat Bidstrup.
鈥 is a fantastic complementary tool for educators that bridges the knowledge gap for new students, and, most importantly, we know for sure that no student has been injured being kicked by a virtual cow.鈥
Dr Carr鈥檚 insight and experience was crucial to ensure was accurate and appropriate for use in classrooms. She says the result gives students the insights they need to feel more comfortable handling large animals.
鈥淜at and her team developed a large amount of responsiveness within the experience so that students get the full experience of the size, and the different responses animals have, depending on where to stand and how you move,鈥 Dr Carr says.
More than 1000 成人大片 students have been through the training program.
is accessible on all major VR platforms as an annual subscription for universities, vocational educators and other organisations focused on agriculture and animal sciences.
Media contacts:
Dr Mandi Carr, Senior Lecturer Livestock Health and Production, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 成人大片. Phone: +61 0474 640 830, Email: mandi.carr@adelaide.edu.au
Kat Bidstrup, CEO, Think Digital. Phone: +61 0411 299 428, Email: kat@think.digital
Johnny von Einem, Senior Media Officer, 成人大片. Mobile: +61 0481 688 436, Email: johnny.voneinem@adelaide.edu.au