Did you know that your brain is quite similar to a mouse’s brain? It’s true! So while rodents can’t read, the nerve cells in your brain are incredibly similar to those in a mouse’s brain. That’s why mice are often used as test subjects in neuroscientific research, including brain-computer interfaces and drug studies for mental health issues.
Neurobiologist Daniel Dombek and his team at Northwestern University have even developed a new set of VR glasses specifically designed for mice, and it’s downright adorable. These glasses are intended to immerse the mice in almost any imaginable environment, allowing researchers to better study neuroscience and animal behavior.
Digital conceptual art of a mouse using the iMRSIV VR headset for mice.
Dom Pinke/ Northwestern University
This innovation came after researchers found that previous methods, such as using screens or projections, were not enough to fully immerse the animals into a virtual environment. The new VR headset, called iMRSIV, is equipped with lenses and screens that accommodate a mouse’s field of vision, which is 140 degrees.
A check out the iMRSIV VR headset for mice. The headset is made from 2 lenses with screens in them that accommodate for a mouse’s 140 degree field of vision.
Thanks to this innovative technology, researchers can now fully immerse mice in a virtual world and gain new insights into how their brains respond to different environments. Learn more about this groundbreaking development here.
