It’s not just us humans diving into the world of virtual reality—scientists have recently introduced an exciting technology that lets mice experience VR in a realistic and charming way within the lab setting.
Developed by researchers at Cornell University, this new tech, cleverly named MouseGoggles, marks an intriguing advancement in animal studies using VR. In their experiments, mice responded vividly to simulated visuals while sporting these adorable goggles. This makes tackling VR-related animal research a much more practical endeavor for scientists.
Although the idea of mice navigating virtual spaces might initially sound amusing, MouseGoggles has genuine scientific implications. It can help create controlled, yet lifelike, environments for mice. Traditional VR setups for mice are quite cumbersome, often involving placing the animals on treadmills amid surrounding screens. These screens, however, fail to cover a mouse’s entire peripheral vision and, as a result, spotting and responding to the environment often takes time—if it happens at all.
What makes MouseGoggles stand out is its innovative design, a clear improvement over existing VR methods for mice. Instead of inventing a mini Oculus Rift from scratch, the team crafted their system from small, cost-effective components sourced from smartwatches and similar gadgets. The mice remain stationary on a treadmill with the goggles securely in place to deliver visual cues.
Matthew Isaacson, the lead scientist and a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell, shared with the Cornell Chronicle, “Our approach benefitted significantly from repurposing existing tech. Interestingly, the ideal display size for a mouse VR headset already exists in smartwatches, which allowed us to put together our system without needing custom-made parts.”
To test the effectiveness of MouseGoggles, researchers introduced various stimuli to the mice, observing their behavior and measuring brain activity throughout. The results were promising; the mice appeared to perceive and react to VR scenarios as predicted. For instance, when a hypothetical predator approaching as a shadow was introduced, the mice showed an instinctive startle response that was absent in setups using larger screens.
Isaacson noted, “In traditional setups with huge screens, the mice showed no reaction. Yet with these goggles, nearly every mouse reacted to the first encounter, demonstrating what seemed like a genuine threat response.”
Published recently in Nature Methods, the potential applications of this more immersive mouse VR technology are vast, according to the research team. For example, it might enhance our understanding of spatial navigation and memory in mice engineered to mimic Alzheimer’s disease, as well as aid in exploring treatments for neurological disorders.
Isaacson and his team aren’t the only ones exploring VR adaptations for mice, but claim theirs uniquely tracks eye and pupil movements. They’re also working on a lightweight, portable version for larger rodents such as rats or even tree shrews. Looking ahead, they hope to integrate features simulating additional senses like taste and smell.
