Humans aren’t the only species feeling the buzz of virtual reality. Scientists have unveiled a novel technology that lets mice dive into VR in a more lifelike—and undeniably charming—way within laboratory settings.
At Cornell University, researchers have crafted this intriguing tech, aptly dubbing it MouseGoggles. When these tiny wearables were tested on mice, the furry critters showed notable reactions to the virtual stimuli they encountered. This breakthrough is set to streamline VR-related animal studies for scientists.
While the image of mice donning VR might tickle your funny bone, there’s genuine scientific merit to it. Ideally, VR can be used to recreate natural environments for mice within controlled lab settings. However, traditional VR setups have their limitations. Typically, mice are placed on a treadmill, encircled by various screens or projections. These don’t fully capture a mouse’s field of view, making it challenging for mice to engage with the virtual world as quickly or even at all.
Cornell’s MouseGoggles seem to leap ahead of these typical setups. Instead of inventing a miniature Oculus Rift from scratch, the researchers repurposed tiny, affordable components from smartwatches and similar devices. Much like in other VR systems, the mice run on a treadmill wearing the MouseGoggles, which are secured to their heads to deliver visual stimuli.
“Inspired by a hacker’s ethos, we used existing parts designed for other purposes and applied them to our project,” explained Matthew Isaacson, the lead scientist and postdoctoral researcher at Cornell, in an interview with the Cornell Chronicle. “As it happens, the perfect display size for a mouse VR headset was already available from smartwatches. We were fortunate to avoid designing anything from scratch, as we could easily find all the inexpensive parts we needed.”
To test the effectiveness of MouseGoggles, the team exposed the mice to a range of visual stimuli while tracking their brain activity and observing their reactions. The experiments showed encouraging results—mice seemed to genuinely perceive and interact with the VR environments. For example, when a dark shape, resembling a potential predator, appeared to approach them in the VR world, the mice reacted almost instinctively.
“In traditional VR setups with large screens, mice didn’t react at all,” Isaacson noted. “But when they used the MouseGoggles, almost every mouse jumped at the sight of the looming shape, showing a strong startle response. They really appeared to believe they were facing a predator.”
These findings were recently detailed in the journal Nature Methods. The researchers suggest that realistic VR for mice could pave the way for numerous scientific advancements. Detailed VR experiments might provide deeper insights into brain activities, particularly in mice engineered to mimic Alzheimer’s, focusing on regions tied to navigation and memory. Plus, it could boost foundational research testing new treatments for neurological disorders.
Isaacson and his team aren’t alone in developing VR systems for mice. However, they claim their version is unique, featuring eye and pupil tracking. They’re already working on a more portable VR setup for larger animals, like rats or tree shrews. Future plans include innovations like simulating taste and smell, adding further dimensions to these virtual experiences.
