Sensor System for Enhanced Detection of Locomotion and Standing Behavior in Rats

This study developed and evaluated a novel, inexpensive computer monitoring system for measuring multiple parameters of rat activity. The system was comprised of a touch-panel and infrared modules, based on an ATmega32L microcontroller, combined with a locomotion-processing algorithm for monitoring rat of the locomotion and standing activities of experimental rats. The infrared module was designed to fit within an experimental cage to measure standing behavior. The infrared transmitter and receiver modules were set up on two sides of the experimental cage with 2-cm inter-transmitter and inter-receiver spacing to detect the standing rat's body. In normal mode, three behavioral activities (locomotion, standing, and jumping) were measured over the course of 1 h. This study demonstrated an improved planar resolution of approximately 0.4 cm. Analysis of variance (ANOVA; Р < 0.05) was used to detect significant differences between the experimental and control groups. The major advantage of the touch-panel and infrared sensor system is its ability to record a rat's locomotion, jumping, and standing behaviors simultaneously. The proposed system will be especially useful to researchers in pharmaceutical and medical fields.