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SKU ME-34101 Category

AnyMaze Integration

See more by: ConductVision

The ANY-maze Behavior Tracking Software is a sophisticated video-tracking system for recording animal activity and movement during behavioral tests. MazeEngineers mazes integrate into Anymaze, please inquire for case by case scenarios to ensure customization.

Beyond video-tracking, ANY-maze is also equipped with an experiment management system and the protocol-setting feature that provides comprehensive control over the experimental process. Other features include:

  • Define the apparatus and set zones and areas of interest
  • Define simple and complex sequences of movement that the software can accurately detect
  • Connect with a wide array of devices for use in the apparatus, enabling control of pellet dispensers, opening maze doors, etc

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Sku: ME-34101 Category
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Description

Introduction

Advancements in video-tracking technology have revolutionized large-scale behavioral tests, enhancing accuracy, efficiency, and convenience. Enter the ANY-trace Behavior Tracking Software, renowned for its adaptability, sophistication, and user-friendliness, making it a staple among scientists and researchers. Compared to manual real-time data scoring, ANY-trace’s automated tracking ensures precision across various measurement dimensions including location, behavior specificity, and recorded time, along with the efficiency to track multiple animals simultaneously, all within an intuitively designed program.

The standout feature of ANY-trace lies in its unparalleled versatility, reflected in its namesake. The software seamlessly integrates into any maze or experimental design, be it water mazes, plus mazes, T-mazes, light-dark boxes, and beyond, thanks to its customizable programming tailored to specific contexts. Unlike preset apparatus definitions, ANY-trace empowers users to define and delineate the apparatus, map its sections, and segment it into areas of interest and zones. Users can also program simple or complex movement sequences, which the software adeptly detects. Moreover, ANY-trace facilitates comprehensive control over the experimental setup, boasting heightened connectivity with commonly used behavioral test devices. It enables commands such as light activation, pellet dispensing, sound playback, and syringe pump operation. The software’s tracking reliability remains unwavering even in challenging conditions such as low-light, low-contrast environments, and during video rendering, capable of tracking from pre-recorded files or in real time, with input from up to 16 cameras.

Crucially, ANY-trace aligns with researchers’ workflows, featuring a sophisticated experiment management system capable of handling multiple schedules concurrently. Beyond individual behavioral tests, ANY-trace comprehensively understands the entire experimental process, enabling robust result analysis, presentation in diverse formats, and comparison with other experiments. To harness these benefits fully, users must master concise experiment definition within the software. With its array of features, ANY-trace transcends mere video tracking, offering an integrated approach to managing the entirety of the experimental journey.

Equipment and Set-Up

The initial phase of working with ANY-trace entails the successful installation of the software onto your laptop or computer. Users should pay close attention to the digitizer and driver software requirements for both the camera and computer. ANY-trace accommodates various camera types, ranging from USB cameras to FireWire cameras, DV camcorders, and network cameras. It’s imperative to note that a licensed copy of the software is essential for recording data.

Equipment Setup:

  1. Camera Mounting: Carefully position the camera over the apparatus, ensuring it is securely mounted perpendicular to the apparatus without any angles. Perform test image captures to confirm its correct placement and stability.
  2. Lighting Adjustment: Be mindful of lighting adjustments, particularly in scenarios involving water mazes, where reflections from the water surface may affect tracking accuracy.

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Software Configuration:

  1. File Creation: In ANY-trace, each file corresponds to a single experiment.
  2. Protocol Setup: Define the experimental protocol, detailing technical aspects such as camera positioning, apparatus visibility, test duration, etc. Protocols can be saved and reused for future experiments.
    • Name the protocol.
    • Add a video source.
    • Map the apparatus and draw its layout.
    • Define zones and areas of interest.
    • Specify animal color and test duration.
    • Save the protocol.
  3. Experiment Configuration: Input details of different treatment groups, the number of animals, and other pertinent experiment information into the program.
  4. Test Execution: Utilize the experiment management pane to schedule tests, while the apparatus pane is employed for conducting individual tests within the apparatus. During tests, ANY-trace displays the animal’s position with an orange dot.

Using the Software to Gather Data

Before delving into intricate setup procedures, ANY-trace offers automatic tracking capabilities for the animal’s center, with options to track the head, tail, or entire body. Following the initial experiment setup, the software stands prepared to track animals and collect data. Users can configure every aspect of data gathering, including:

  1. Tracking of Different Body Points: ANY-trace can track various body points such as the center of gravity, head, or tail.
  2. Automated Test Start and End: The software can automatically commence a test when the experimenter exits the camera’s view. Defining events allows tests to end when specific criteria are met, such as when the animal reaches a certain point in a water maze.
  3. Immobility Detection: ANY-trace can detect immobility when an animal freezes or remains still for a defined period.
  4. Large Areas of Interest: Define expansive areas of interest, such as the borders of a water maze, to track behaviors like thigmotaxis.
  5. Specific Locations of Interest: Define precise locations of interest, such as the placement of a novel object in the apparatus.
  6. Sequences: Analyze movement sequences between areas, such as observing spontaneous alternations in a Y-maze.
  7. Manual Inputs: For behaviors that cannot be automatically scored by the apparatus, users can designate keyboard keys to manually input observations during behavior exhibitions.

Modifications

Input and output controls. This functionality enables users to receive input from external sensors or control devices linked to the apparatus. For instance, input controls can detect animal movements passing through photo-beam sensors. Output controls offer users the ability to manipulate light switches, activate buzzers, or operate maze doors.

Data Analysis

The ANY-trace software is designed by researchers to comprehend the experiment’s structure and objectives, facilitating seamless analysis and interpretation of results with a simple click. For example, it can assess the impact of treatments on maze completion times. ANY-trace offers users numerous options for viewing, analyzing, and exporting test results.

Defining Metrics:

ANY-trace initially presents a basic set of metrics in test reports, but users can customize measures as needed for each experiment using the protocol-setting feature.

Temporal Analysis of Tests:

Tests in ANY-trace can be segmented into equal time intervals for analyzing results over time. This feature allows researchers to observe how certain measures fluctuate throughout the test duration, such as an animal’s time spent in specific maze areas at different test stages.

Selection of Report Styles and Statistical Analyses:

Post-data acquisition, ANY-trace provides various viewing options, including text and graphical representations. Additionally, it boasts over 30 built-in statistical tests, including ANOVA and T-tests, enabling comprehensive statistical analysis. Users can specify independent variables, the dependent variable for analysis, and the preferred statistical test in the analysis report.

Exporting Results to External Programs:

ANY-trace facilitates seamless transfer of results to external programs like Microsoft Excel or SPSS. Through the data page, users can save reports or report fragments in multiple formats compatible with a wide range of analysis software.

Strengths and Limitations

The adaptability and versatility of ANY-trace software remain unparalleled in its field. It seamlessly adapts to various maze configurations and experimental setups, reflecting the intuitive workflow of researchers. With a deep understanding of experimental protocols, ANY-trace empowers users to customize apparatus definitions, identify specific animal behaviors within designated zones, and manage experiments efficiently through its integrated scheduling system. Additionally, ANY-trace boasts enhanced connectivity, enabling control over a diverse range of behavioral test devices such as light beams, pellet dispensers, buzzers, and maze doors.

However, despite its wide-ranging applicability, ANY-trace may encounter challenges in detecting specific instances of animal behavior with the desired sensitivity and specificity. To address this limitation, the software offers a convenient key feature, allowing users to assign keys for manual tracking of specific behaviors.

Summary and Key Points

  • The ANY-maze Behavior Tracking Software is a flexible, sophisticated, and easy-to-use video-tracking software that is one of the most widely used programs among scientists and researchers today.
  • The software can be used in any maze or experimental design, including water mazes, plus mazes, T-maze, light-dark boxes, and so on.
  • Users are given the power to define the apparatus, draw its sections, and divide it into different areas and zones of interest, as well as define simple and complex sequences of movement that the program is well-equipped to detect.
  • It can provide complete control of the experimental set-up at a heightened level of connectivity to devices, and enable such commands as switching on lights, dispensing pellets, playing sounds, and operating syringe pumps.
  • It can track movement from pre-recorded video files or in real time, getting input from up to 16 cameras.
  • The software is equipped with a sophisticated experiment management system that can keep track of numerous schedules at any time.
  • ANY-maze can analyze the results of experiments, present them in many different ways, and compare them with other experiments.

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