JetBall - Model TFT -Animal Behavior Virtual Reality Systems (VR)

We provide unique VR systems for the study of animal behaviour in neuroscience. Our JetBall spherical treadmills allow a mouse or rat to navigate and perform behavioural tasks in a virtual world, while the brain is examined with optogenetic, electrophysiological, or in-vivo imaging methods.

VR allows much more flexible modifications of experimental environments and conditions than real mazes, e.g. hiding and switching landmarks automatically, teleporting of an animal to a new task or by using endless mazes.

We spent years developing and refining our JetBall and other systems for rodents in cooperation with leading scientists. Utilize our experience for your own research to explore new horizons in neurobiology.

Benefits from our virtual environments:

• Use our predefined virtual JetBall mazes for learning, memory, cognition and navigation tasks: 2m-Corridor, Endless-Corridor, T-Maze, Plus-Maze, Y-Maze, 1m-Open Field.
• Create your own virtual mazes with our flexible software: place landmarks variable in size and shape appearing and disappearing at defined times, run different mazes as test batteries in a single sequence without removing the animal from the top of the ball, or uncouple the virtual reality and the actual movement of the animal.
• Extend the JetBall system with our optional operant modules for combining them with virtual scenes.
• Relay experimental data from the JetBall via our data transfer system to any additional experimental computer for synchronising data streams.

• TFT surround monitor system with 270°
• JetBall air-cushion supported spherical treadmill
• Large space for external setups, e.g. multi-photon microscopes or e-phys
• High image contrast and luminance
• Predefined experiments or create your own ones with our software
• Data transfer system to combine JetBall data with external data
• Video walk-around JetBall

Examples of neural dynamics during navigation and decision making in, e.g., a Corridor or T-Maze:

• Intracellular dynamics and population activity of hippocampal place cells
• Grid cell firing fields in virtual environments
• Neocortical neural coding during decisions.