MouseWalker

The MouseWalker is an open-source, integrated hardware and software system that provides a comprehensive and quantitative description of kinematic features in freely walking rodents.

MouseLocomotion GIF 1.9X

Using this method, footprints are visualized with high spatial and temporal resolution by a non-invasive optical touch sensor coupled to high-speed imaging. A freely available and open-source software package tracks footprints and body features to generate a comprehensive description of many locomotion features, including static parameters such as footprint position and stance patterns and dynamic parameters, such as step and swing cycle duration, and inter-leg coordination.

The MouseWalker comprises a walking arena is made of components readily available, a camera capable of recording high-speed movies (>60fps), and a software written to track the features of the animals and to generate a large kinematic dataset. 

Here we provide all the relevant information to build and use the MouseWalker.

 

Publications describing the MouseWalker in detail can be found here: 

 

GitHub Repository

GitHub repository with all relevant info, including Matlab script, video examples, post-acquisition scripts, etc

CLICK HERE