Behavioral Task Device

The Behavioral Task Device (BTD) is a fully integrated system that allows visual and audio stimuli to be presented to a head fixed animal. The system consists of:

• Two 24″ inch control screen and computer
• One heavy-duty screen support.
• One add-on positioner to precisely position a water sprout.
• Water Dispenser
• One audio set to present stereo stimuli.
• One head fixation system
• Free running treadmill OR acrylic tube to maintain the animal.
• One breadboard allowing multiple add-ons.
• 8 digital input and output to monitor other sensors, to act as slave, to trigger other systems or to control sensorial feedback.

The BTD offers a small footprint which makes it ideal for high throughput experiments and serialization. Since the device is autonomous, there is no limit on the amount of devices to serialize. Acquired data can be stored locally on the computer or remotely using widely used cloud storage services. The system runs on a Windows 10 computer and allows normal usage of the computer for device add-on.

The behavioral task device is compatible with many other devices. Below is a non-exhaustive list of the add-ons available. The Janelia Low-Friction Rodent-Driven Belt Treadmill can be connected to the computer and read throught the PsychoPy implementation. USB webcams can also be used to record the animal movement or track the pupil position. Labeotech water dispenser is fully compatible and will deliver a precise amount of water if the animal does the proper discrimination.

The experiment setup requires minimal programming thanks to Psychopy.org. Custom components have been pre-programmed in PsychoPy, which allows users to simply drag and drop components and set their properties without writing a single line of code! The experiment workflow can be adjusted with ease using intuitive schematic as shown below. We can also customize or program new experiments for your specific needs.