At Think Digital Studios, we’re passionate about pushing the boundaries of education and innovating the classroom using immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR). As global leaders in the field of agricultural immersive technologies, we’ve created a Cattle Virtual Reality training tool that combines innovation, safety, and practical learning.
Meet CattleVR — the world’s first Virtual Reality cattle handling training tool. Developed in collaboration with Dr. Mandi Carr from the University of Adelaide, CattleVR is transforming how students learn and educators teach the critical skills of cattle handling, all in a safe, controlled environment.
The Problem with Traditional Training
Cattle handling is risky for those with little to no experience. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, over 5,000 livestock-related injuries were reported in a single year, many of them involving cattle. Traditional training often throws students into the deep end, putting both students and animals at risk if mistakes are made. For educators, ensuring students are prepared before entering a cattle yard has been a long-standing challenge, especially when dealing with large animals that can easily become stressed or unpredictable.
CattleVR was developed by Think Digital to solve this problem by allowing students to experience the challenges of cattle handling — such as flight zones, moving animals through yards, and gate operations — without the real-life risks. The immersive virtual environment enables students to fail safely, giving them the opportunity to make mistakes, learn, and practise through repetition without putting themselves or animals in harm’s way.
Innovating the Classroom
One of the greatest benefits of CattleVR is how it engages students in a way that traditional methods can’t. Virtual Reality brings learning to life, enabling students to gain hands-on experience in a highly realistic yet controlled setting. This is particularly valuable for students with little to no experience in handling large animals. By the time they step into a real cattle yard, they’re already familiar with the basic techniques, significantly improving their confidence and performance.
Dr. Mandi Carr, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide, has found CattleVR to be an invaluable tool for her students, particularly first-year university students.
“From one educator to another, CattleVR will allow you to innovate the classroom, have better student engagement, and also has benefits for the animals.”
– Dr Mandi Carr (Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide School of Animal and Veterinary Science)
Dr. Carr also uses the cattle Virtual Reality tool alongside practical lessons, allowing students to review and refine their skills in VR before heading back into the yards.
Why Choose CattleVR?
The benefits of CattleVR go beyond student safety and engagement. It’s also a powerful tool for improving animal welfare. Traditional training often involves live animals, which can lead to stress and habituation that may cause cattle to lose their natural behaviors. With CattleVR, this stress is eliminated, as students can practice in a virtual environment without needing to handle live animals until they’re fully prepared.
CattleVR is available on all major VR platforms, including Meta, HTC VIVE, PICO XR, and more, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of users. CattleVR comes with world-class teaching support from experts like Dr Mandi Carr, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide. Through video tutorials and personalized coaching, educators are fully equipped to maximize the benefits of VR training in their classrooms.
Future-Proof Your Agricultural Curriculum
By adopting CattleVR, you’re not only improving immediate learning outcomes but also future-proofing your curriculum. As immersive technology continues to evolve, tools like CattleVR are becoming essential for modern agricultural education. The Think Digital team, led by Tim Gentle and Kat Bidstrup — both of whom grew up on farms — are committed to continuously developing new modules to ensure the tool stays relevant. Upcoming additions include modules on loading cattle, performing health checks, and identifying diseases, giving educators more resources to enhance their teaching.
Come join us at the station!
If you’re ready to take the next step in agricultural education, CattleVR is the perfect solution. To learn more about how to innovate your classroom with CattleVR, visit cattlevr.com. If you’re interested, contact us or send an email directly to us at cattlevr@think.digital and we’ll sort out the rest! Whether you’re a teacher looking to boost student engagement or a station manager wanting to improve team training, CattleVR is here to help!
