Our media production department Arador Productions develops and produces digital, visual and interactive media for public communication of science, for educational institutions and for animal-related professionals.
We use virtual reality, game development, documentary filmmaking and more to make in-depth knowledge easily accessible to anyone.
The following projects are currently under development.
Dog's World VR: A unique virtual reality experience
In collaboration with the virtual reality studio Teatime Research, we are developing a virtual reality experience that will let you see the world as dogs do.
A rich world of scents will come alive in front of you, together with the sounds and colours that differ from those perceived by us. The way people talk and act is something else entirely when grasped with a dog's mind. Based on cutting-edge science, the virtual reality experience takes you through in-depth knowledge on dogs' emotions, intelligence and best methods for dog training.
The VR experience will be designed to be entertaining and informative - ideal for science centres, museums, VR arcades and more. It will also provide a unique tool for those involved in providing information to current and future dog owners: breeders, shelters, animal welfare organisations, kennel clubs and more.
The development phase of a demo version, currently ongoing, is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Government of Finland, via their funding instrument AVEK - The Promotion Centre for Audiovisual Culture.
Through the eyes of a cow:
Developing a virtual reality learning environment
for vocational training on dairy cattle health and welfare
In collaboration with the virtual reality studio Teatime Research, the animal welfare auditing and specialist company Armenta Benessi, several Finnish dairy farms as well as other partners, we are developing a virtual reality experience for vocational training. Those benefiting from it will include dairy farmers, farm animal health and welfare advisors and inspectors, veterinarians and agricultural schools.
The learning environment will allow the user to try out different types of farms and husbandry practices from the perspective of a dairy cow and a calf, learning up-to-date scientific information on how different types of housing and husbandry affect health, welfare and milk production. It will also allow the users to try out different modifications to the housing, receiving instant feedback on their predicted effects on health and welfare.
The aim of the project is to help improve the welfare and health of dairy cows, heifers and calves by providing easy access to scientific knowledge. During the years 2022 and 2023 we will plan, develop and produce a novel virtual learning environment, combining high visual and immersive quality with accurate and detailed scientific information. During the year 2024, the learning environment will be made available to the Finnish dairy farming sector as a Finnish-language version, free of cost.
The project is funded by the European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) funding programme of the EU, covering 100% of the project costs. The funding is administered in Finland by the Häme Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.
The minds of cattle, pigs and chickens: a series of internet videos
In collaboration with the award-winning British documentary filmmaker Amanda Feldon and the Finnish farm animal sanctuary Tuulispää, we are developing a series of interlinked videos and short articles for the internet.
The series will open surprising, science-based insights into the mids and abilities of the most common farm animals. How fast can old chickens learn new tricks? Why is it so important for pigs to have access to vegetation and water? What is it like to be a huge but sensitive bull?
Filmed in a semi-natural environment instead of ordinary production systems, the animals reveal rich behavioural repertoires and nuanced communication. The stars of the videos include some of the favourite rescues beloved by the sanctuary visitors.
The project is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Government of Finland, via their funding instrument TJNK - The Committee for Public Information and by The Finnish Association of Science Editors and Journalists.
The world of fish: science comics and a mobile game
A mobile game and a series of science comics that will let you delve into the underwater world. Do fish have feelings? Are they more intelligent than we used to think? What do environmental issues mean to fish - not just as a food source or endangered populations, but sentient individuals?
We have produced a small demo version that includes some of the elements in the game and comics. We are currently searching for funding for the production of a full version.
Our partners in game development were Sampo Games, Virtual Frontiers and Aniway. The development of the demo was funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Government of Finland, via their funding instrument AVEK - The Promotion Centre for Audiovisual Culture, by the Finnish science communication nonprofit Tieteen tiedotus ry and with an Innovation Voucher from Business Finland.
Surprising rats: a documentary film
Rats have often shouldered the cultural role of an archetypal villain. Yet an increasing body of scientific research has revealed that rats are not only sentient and intelligent but also possess the ability for empathy to an astonishing extent.
This documentary film, currently at an early stage of planning, will explore the skills and inner lives of a small group of pet rats, each with strikingly different personalities, as well as two laboratory rats whose life takes an unexpected turn. From the antics and surprising abilities of these individual rats, the film will expand into an exploration of the unused potential in improving the living conditions of laboratory rats - an often overlooked avenue when discussing ways to reduce suffering in animal experiments - and the potential for developing new and humane methods for the population control of wild rats.