Floor Projection Maze
A novel rodent platform projecting visual cues onto the floor for studying vision, learning, and cognition.
Overview
The Floor Projection Maze is an innovative rodent research platform designed to advance our understanding of visual information processing, learning, memory, and attention. It projects two-dimensional visual cues onto the maze floor from beneath, using a semi-transparent surface illuminated by a digital projector.
This setup aligns with rodentsā natural downward gaze and supports a variety of behavioral study designs. The system integrates seamlessly with neural implants, allowing for simultaneous recording of brain activity and behavior, and remains fully compatible with overhead video tracking. Automated reward delivery and customizable conditioning paradigms are also supported.
Researchers have already employed this maze to explore visual attention, decision-making, learning processes, spatial navigation, and visual discrimination.
Market Opportunity
As costs and regulatory hurdles for non-human primate research rise, the demand for robust rodent models of visual cognition is growing. The Floor Projection Maze offers a validated, adaptable method for studying the neural foundations of visual processing in rodentsāusing tasks directly comparable to primate studies.
Ā
Unlike traditional rodent tasks that rely on olfactory or tactile cues, this maze isolates the visual modality, enabling stronger cross-species comparisons. While rodents lack primate-level visual acuity, their functional visual system allows for a wide range of vision-based experiments, filling a crucial gap in neuroscience research.
Invention & Advantages
Isolates the visual modality
uniquely suited for vision-focused behavioral studies.
High flexibility
Supports a wide range of experimental tasks.
Compatible with neural recording
manipulation techniques.
Interchangeable reward systems
adaptable to different conditioning paradigms.
Quick transformation
permits concurrent experiments and maximizes lab efficiency.
Cross-species value
enhances translation between rodent and primate vision research.
Applications
The Floor Projection Maze has been successfully used in multiple peer-reviewed studies:
Neuron, 2012: Single neuron activity and theta modulation in postrhinal cortex during visual object discrimination.
Hippocampus, 2014: Place cell responses to visual cues (objects vs. landmarks) based on size, perspective, and experience.
Cerebral Cortex, 2022: Functional differentiation of posterior parietal cortex in visuospatial attention tasks.
These studies demonstrate the mazeās effectiveness in exploring visual attention, spatial navigation, and cognitive control.
Principal Investigator
Rebecca Burwell, PhD
Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Studies
Brown University [email protected]
Contact
Neil Veloso
Executive Director, Brown Technology Innovations ā [email protected]