A MICROCOMPUTER-BASED SYSTEM FOR REAL-TIME ANALYSIS OF ANIMAL

A microcomputer-based video system for tracking, recording, and analyz ing the movement of animals in two dimensions on variegated background in real-time has been developed and validated, both mechanically and with moving animals. Hardware and software (donationware) costs are lo w, Specimens visualized as small as 3 pixels long may be tracked in an arena that is 240 x 320 pixels in size. The results of tracking a mec hanical moving spot are compared with a theoretical circular path. Com parisons between frame-by-frame human observation and computer generat ed X-Y coordinates are also presented. Applications of the tracking sy stem include insect toxicology and pheromone bioassay, vertebrate loco motion studies, and basic research on taxes and kineses.