Humans aren’t the only ones diving into the world of virtual reality—mice are now joining the adventure, thanks to an exciting new innovation from scientists. Researchers at Cornell University have introduced tech dubbed MouseGoggles, designed to let these little creatures experience the wonders of VR in experiments. It’s not just cute; it’s a breakthrough that could smooth the path for conducting animal studies that incorporate virtual reality.
While the notion of rodents enjoying VR might sound amusing, there’s serious intent behind it. The aim is to let scientists recreate natural-like environments for mice within a controlled setting. Traditional setups can be somewhat clunky: mice often find themselves on a treadmill, encircled by computers or projection screens. However, these screens fall short of covering a mouse’s entire field of vision, and sometimes, the mice take forever to engage with the virtual world—if they respond at all.
The Cornell team believes MouseGoggles could be a game-changer for mouse-based VR. They cleverly used affordable, tiny components from smartwatches and other existing devices, rather than building a mini-Oculus Rift from scratch. In the setup, mice are still on a treadmill, but now with their heads secured in the goggles to directly receive visual stimuli.
Matthew Isaacson, the lead scientist and postdoc at Cornell, shared some insights with the Cornell Chronicle. He highlighted the resourceful approach they took by repurposing parts designed for other uses, noting, “The perfect size display for a mouse VR headset was basically already available in smartwatches. We were fortunate to not start from scratch and could easily source all the inexpensive parts we needed.”
To validate their system, the researchers placed mice through various stimuli tests, monitoring brain activity and behavior closely. Across these tests, mice showed promising engagement with the VR environment. In one scenario, the team observed mice’s reactions to a slowly approaching dark blotch, simulating a potential predator.
“When we ran a similar test using the usual VR setups with big screens, the mice barely reacted,” Isaacson explained. “However, with the goggles on, almost every mouse had a strong startle response when they first saw it. They genuinely seemed to perceive an imminent predator.”
These exciting findings were shared earlier this month in the journal Nature Methods. Isaacson and his team suggest that more lifelike VR experiments could unlock numerous possibilities. For example, they could enhance the mapping and understanding of brain activity in mice, especially those with conditions like Alzheimer’s, by focusing on regions tied to spatial navigation and memory. Furthermore, it could boost basic research aimed at discovering treatments for brain disorders.
While Isaacson’s team isn’t alone in creating VR systems for mice, they claim theirs is a pioneering approach that includes eye and pupil tracking. They’re also working on a more portable and lighter VR setup suitable for bigger rodents like rats or tree shrews. Additionally, future versions might feature even more upgrades, such as simulating taste and smell to further enrich the VR experience.
