Humans might not be the only ones getting hooked on virtual reality; our tiny friends in the animal kingdom are joining in, too. Recently, scientists unveiled an intriguing new technology that lets mice dive into virtual reality with a touch of realism and, let’s be honest, a hefty dose of cuteness.
This inventive tech, dubbed MouseGoggles, comes from the clever minds at Cornell University. During trials, mice wearing these goggles appeared to vividly engage with virtual stimuli. This breakthrough promises to make VR-based animal studies far more accessible for researchers.
While the concept of VR for mice might evoke a few chuckles, there’s serious science behind it. Virtual reality offers scientists the opportunity to simulate natural-looking environments in a controlled setting for their tiny subjects. Until now, standard setups have been less than ideal: bulky devices often require mice to run on treadmills encircled by screens. These screens don’t fully encompass the mouse’s field of vision, often resulting in delayed or non-existent responses to the VR world.
The Cornell team believes MouseGoggles marks a significant leap forward from traditional setups. Rather than crafting a miniature Oculus Rift, they smartly repurposed affordable, miniature components from smartwatches and other gadgets. The concept is simple: mice sport these goggles and run on a treadmill, while their heads stay aligned with the goggles to receive visual cues.
“It was all about that hacker spirit—utilizing parts designed for something entirely different and putting them to new, groundbreaking use,” explained Matthew Isaacson, the project’s lead scientist and a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell, in an interview with the Cornell Chronicle. “Coincidentally, the perfect display size for a mouse VR headset is strikingly similar to what’s already out there in smartwatches. We were fortunate to source everything we needed without starting from scratch.”
To test the system’s potential, researchers introduced various stimuli to the mice while keeping tabs on their brain activity and behavior. The results were promising. In one instance, mice responded keenly to a dark spot approaching them, simulating a potential threat or predator.
“In traditional VR setups with large screens, the mice were indifferent,” Isaacson noted. “But the first glimpse of that blotch with MouseGoggles, and they leaped like they were truly under attack. Their reaction was immediate and intense.”
These groundbreaking findings were published earlier this month in the journal Nature Methods. The potential applications for this refined VR system are vast. It could significantly enhance our understanding of brain activity, particularly in mice models for Alzheimer’s disease, by allowing deeper insights into spatial navigation and memory. Furthermore, it could bolster foundational research for potential treatments of brain disorders.
Isaacson and his team aren’t alone in creating VR environments for mice, but they pride themselves on pioneering systems that track both eye and pupil movement. They’ve already got their sights set on an even more portable VR setup for larger animals, like rats or tree shrews, and future versions may even simulate senses of taste and smell. The horizon for VR in animal research is broadening, seemingly unlimited by the confines of current technology.
