Actifield, an automated open source actimeter for rodents

Abstract

Abstract Locomotor activity in rodents is routinely assessed in the evaluation of drugs and other behavioural studies. Several proprietary lab equipment are available to measure locomotion, however their prohibitive cost may pose a challenge to newly-established and poorly funded labs. To overcome this challenge we present Actifield, an open source hardware setup to measure locomotor activity in rodents. The design consists of 3D printed and laser-cut parts as well as “off-the-shelf” electronic components. Here we demonstrate that rodent locomotor activity can be recorded using the IR motion detection system employed in Actifield. Moreover, we show in validation experiments that this hardware system is comparable to commercial and open source video tracking systems. Actifield would be particularly useful to labs in need of a reliable and inexpensive equipment that can be easily built.