Automated Tactile Stimulus for Animals
- Summary
- In behavioral experiments, many different paradigms involve the presentation of visual stimuli to the experimental subjects. A former Purdue University researcher has developed an automated computer-controlled device for presenting compound tactile stimuli in computer-controlled behavioral experiments. Its advantage is that it can be used for subjects with poor vision or hearing, such as mice. It also allows the rapid automated presentation of qualitatively different compound stimuli. The stimuli presented are more directly analogous to the compound visual stimuli presented to humans and primates. This device has three wheels, each with a different pattern, shape, or texture, which are computer controlled to present a single shape-pattern-texture compound stimulus to the subject.
- Technology Benefits
- Works with mice Does not require human placement of stimuli
- Technology Application
- Behavioral experiments
- Detailed Technology Description
- Joe GarnerPurdue Animal Sciences
- Countries
- United States
- Application No.
- N/A
- *Abstract
-
- *Background
- The automatic presentation of compound tactile stimuli to subjects in behavioral experiments is limited to visual stimuli presented on a computer screen, which limits such experiments to humans and primates. This method is poorly suited to species with poorly developed vision, such as mice, or species or strains that loose visual acuity as they age. The presentation of compound stimuli to rodents has been performed by manually placing such stimuli in a maze or arena.
- *IP Issue Date
- None
- *IP Type
- Utility
- *Stage of Development
- Prototype testing
- *Web Links
- Purdue Office of Technology CommercializationPurdueInnovation and EntrepreneurshipJoe GarnerPurdue Animal Sciences
- Country/Region
- USA
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