Researchers Develop Tiny VR Headset for Enhanced Mouse Studies

At Cornell University, a team of researchers has embarked on an intriguing project by creating ‘MouseGoggles,’ a petite virtual reality headset equipped with eye-tracking capabilities for mice. This innovation is being utilized to delve into intricate behaviors while gathering neural data.

Historically, VR systems for smaller animals have struggled with limitations concerning their dimensions, immersiveness, and the absence of sophisticated features like eye-tracking. However, with the development of MouseGoggles, highlighted in a recently unveiled study, Cornell researchers aim to deepen their understanding of the mouse brain—a long-standing benchmark in behavioral and neurological studies.

The validity of the study was reinforced by recording neural activity in the visual cortex, confirming that the images were delivered with clarity and efficiency. Impressively, the VR headset created a fully immersive experience, as evident through various tests, including hippocampal recordings, reward-associated learning, and fear responses to looming virtual objects.

This innovative project is spearheaded by Chris Schaffer, a professor of biomedical engineering at Cornell, alongside Ian Ellwood, an assistant professor in neurobiology and behavior. Their ambition extends to promoting the broader adoption of VR approaches within neuroscience research.

Postdoctoral researcher Matthew Isaacson shared insights with the Cornell Chronicle, noting, “It’s a rare opportunity, when building tools, that you can make something that is experimentally much more powerful than current technology, and that is also simpler and cheaper to build. 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.”

Noteworthy is the fact that MouseGoggles were assembled using cost-effective, readily available components, such as smartwatch displays and miniature lenses, resulting in a compact design. The team also utilized easily accessible resources like the Godot game engine and a Raspberry Pi 4, skillfully configuring it with a split-screen display driver.

Looking ahead, the team’s accomplishments might spark curiosity in crafting lightweight, self-contained headsets for larger rodents, including tree shrews and rats. Currently, MouseGoggles provide a stationary head experience, simulating motion via a ball-shaped treadmill. The researchers are also eager to incorporate sensory dimensions like taste and smell, aiming to enhance the virtual environment’s immersiveness.

Schaffer conveyed to the Cornell Chronicle, “I think five-sense virtual reality for mice is a direction to go for experiments where we’re trying to understand these really complicated behaviors, where mice are integrating sensory information, comparing the opportunity with internal motivational states, like the need for rest and food, and then making decisions about how to behave.”