At Cornell University, a team of pioneering researchers has come up with ‘MouseGoggles’, an innovative miniature VR headset equipped with eye-tracking specially designed for mice. This development is a significant leap in studying intricate behaviors during neural recordings.
In the realm of small-animal VR systems, previous setups were often constrained by their bulky size and limited capabilities. They lacked the immersive experience and advanced technologies like eye-tracking. But with MouseGoggles, Cornell’s innovative approach, highlighted in a newly published paper, aims to delve deeper into the workings of the mouse brain. Mice have long been considered the ideal subjects for behavioral and neurological research.
The researchers were able to successfully validate their study by capturing neural activity within the visual cortex, proving that the images provided were sharp and efficiently delivered. Moreover, the team observed that the virtual reality headset offered an immersive environment. This was supported by hippocampal recordings, tasks involving reward-based learning, and fear responses triggered by virtual looming objects.
Under the leadership of Chris Schaffer, a professor in biomedical engineering at Cornell Engineering, and Ian Ellwood, an assistant professor in neurobiology and behavior in the College of Arts and Sciences, the research team aspires to promote the wider adoption of VR methods in neuroscience.
“It’s quite a rare opportunity when developing tools to create something that’s significantly more powerful for experimental purposes compared to existing technology, while also being simpler and more affordable to make,” stated postdoctoral researcher Matthew Isaacson in his conversation with Cornell Chronicle. He further added, “It’s bringing more experimental power to neuroscience, and it’s a much more accessible version of the technology, so it could be used by a lot more labs.”
What’s particularly fascinating is that MouseGoggles were assembled using affordable, readily available off-the-shelf components like smartwatch displays and minuscule lenses, resulting in a compact system. The miniature VR headset also made use of common tools such as the Godot game engine and a Raspberry Pi 4, which the team configured with a split-screen display driver.
In the long run, this groundbreaking work could spark interest in developing lightweight, stand-alone headsets for larger rodents, including tree shrews and rats. Currently, MouseGoggles provide a fixed-head experience using a ball-shaped treadmill to simulate movement. There are also aspirations to incorporate additional sensory elements such as taste and smell, enhancing the immersive quality of the VR experience.
Professor Schaffer shared with Cornell Chronicle his vision, “I think five-sense virtual reality for mice is the way forward, especially for experiments aimed at unraveling complex behaviors. It’s where mice combine sensory inputs, weigh these against internal motivational states—like the need for rest or food—and then decide how to act.”
