Researchers Develop Miniature VR Goggles for Mice

It’s not just humans diving headfirst into the virtual reality trend—our furry friends are joining in, too. Researchers have unveiled a new technology that lets mice get a more immersive and, let’s be honest, adorable VR experience in the lab.

This innovation, called MouseGoggles, comes from the clever minds at Cornell University. When these goggles were tested on mice, the little critters seemed to react vividly to the virtual worlds presented to them. It’s a game-changer for scientists aiming to conduct VR-related studies with animals.

Now, while the idea of mice navigating virtual environments might sound amusing, there’s a serious side to it. VR could potentially allow scientists to create more realistic natural habitats for these animals under controlled settings. Traditionally, the VR setups for mice haven’t been ideal. Typically, mice are placed on a treadmill surrounded by projection screens, which fail to fully engage their field of vision and sometimes lead to delayed or non-existent reactions.

The team at Cornell believes their MouseGoggles offer a noteworthy improvement over existing methods. Instead of starting from zero to make a miniaturized Oculus Rift, they cleverly repurposed tiny, affordable components from smartwatches and other gadgets. Mice still run on a treadmill while using the MouseGoggles, with their heads gently secured in place to receive the visual cues.

Matthew Isaacson, the lead scientist behind this project, spoke about the innovative approach to the Cornell Chronicle. “We really tapped into the hacker spirit by adapting parts meant for other things and reimagining them for our needs,” he shared. “Surprisingly, smartwatch displays are the perfect size for a mouse VR headset. We didn’t have to create new designs from scratch, as everything necessary was readily available and budget-friendly.”

To evaluate the system, the team observed the mice’s brain activity and behaviors as they faced different VR scenarios. In various tests, it was clear that the mice were engaging with the virtual stimuli as intended. For example, when faced with a dark blotch creeping closer—a VR predator of sorts—the mice exhibited genuine alarm.

“In traditional setups, with large screens, the mice didn’t react at all,” Isaacson noted. “But nearly every mouse with the goggles jumped in surprise as soon as they encountered it. They truly seemed to believe they were under attack by a predator.”

The research findings were published recently in the journal Nature Methods. This breakthrough in creating more lifelike VR experiences for mice could open doors for future benefits. Accurately conducting VR experiments can help scientists delve deeper into understanding brain activity in mice with conditions like Alzheimer’s. It could boost research related to spatial navigation, memory, and even testing treatments for brain disorders.

Isaacson and his team aren’t the only ones tinkering with VR for mice, but they claim theirs is pioneering in its inclusion of eye and pupil tracking capabilities. They’re already brainstorming a lighter, more mobile system suited for larger rodents like rats and tree shrews. In the next phase, they hope to add features like taste and smell simulations.