Dairy Farm VR
A virtual learning environment for vocational education in the dairy sector.
In cooperation with the virtual reality studio Teatime Research and the animal welfare expert and auditing company Armenta Benessi, as well as several Finnish dairy farms and other partners, we are developing a virtual learning environment for vocational training and continuing education. The project is 100% funded by the European Union's funding instrument European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) with the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
In the virtual learning environment, users will be taken on a virtual tour to a variety of farms, shown as an interactive three-dimensional movie in real-life size. The events, narrative, and infographics will provide easy access to up-to-date, science-based knowledge on factors affecting animal health, welfare, and production. While virtual reality is increasingly being used for professional purposes, this will be the first time – not only in Finland, but to our knowledge in the whole world – that this powerful technology is used for vocational education in animal husbandry. In 2024, the virtual learning environment will become available, free of cost, to anyone working or studying within the Finnish dairy sector. This will include dairy farmers, stand-in workers, agricultural schools teaching dairy production, the veterinary faculty, those working in hoof care and insemination, as well as practicing veterinarians, advisors, and inspectors involved with dairy farms. Access to the learning environment, via virtual reality headsets, will be provided in cooperation with Finnish advisory organizations and educational institutions. The Finnish-language version will later be followed by other language versions, with content tailored for relevance in the respective countries.