A NEW AUTOMATED-METHOD FOR DETECTION AND RECORDING OF ANIMAL MOVING PATH

A new electronic system has been developed to trace the location and m ovement of small animals in an open-field environment. The system, inc orporated with a conventional touch panel position sensor (TPPS) and a n IBM AT compatible computer, automatically digitizes and records the moving path of the animal. The detection principle of the TPPS is base d on the pressure effect. Whenever an animal is put on the TPPS, the l ocation of the animal can be detected. The personal computer system is in corporate to record the locomotion data of the animal. The system described here is shown to be a reliable and accurate tool to record t he moving path of an animal. This measurement did not require extra li ght or other stimuli, and the apparatus is low priced, and simple to b uild up and user friendly.