Man wants to develop virtual reality headsets for chickens

IT’S one of the last things you would expect to do with a chicken, but one university professor wants to do it.

Barred rock chicken in free range yard

IF YOU thought Oculus Rift and Sony were the only players in the virtual reality headset market, think again. According to a story by Fast Company, Austin Stewart, an assistant professor at Iowa State University, has developed a project called Second Livestock that calls for VR headsets to be designed for and used on chickens. Yes... chickens.

Stewart’s social experiment is designed to test the idea of using technology to improve the quality of life for livestock. In this scenario, chickens would be equipped with virtual reality headsets - similar to the Oculus Rift - that would simulate a free-range experience, allowing the chickens to believe they’re roaming a virtual farmland, even when they’re not.

“It’s really pastoral,” Stewart says of the Second Livestock world. “There’s waving grass, a few trees, and some artificial intelligence chickens wandering around as well.”

The project goes even further, suggesting high-volume condominiums be constructed to house the VR-wearing foul, decreasing waste and increasing efficiency. Stewart however isn’t necessarily for or against the possibility of making VR for chickens a reality – as his goal is to examine the pros and cons of applying technology to more traditional methods. However, he says he’ll work with scientists who want to make it legit, should any be interested.

This article originally appeared on IGN.