New product - Automated T maze

Tracksys have developed a new automated continuous T-maze, expanding our range that includes an automated radial maze and other designs.

The T-maze is used to assess memory and learning through either spontaneous alternation or rewarded alternation. The continuous T-maze incorporates return arms so that the rat or mouse can return to the start box of the maze, and perform the task repeatedly without human intervention. The doors in our automated version can be controlled by Noldus EthoVision XT video tracking software.

The first continous T-maze has been installed at King's College London. If you would like to know more about how our range of automated mazes could benefit your research contact us

New product - Portable Usability Lab

Usability and HCI researchers often need to film their subjects on site, investigating real-world situations and providing immediate feedback. Our portable filming lab has everything you need in a small lightweight case.

The Portable Usability lab contains 2 IP cameras so you can record, analyse and present your results there and then.

Code, analyse and create highlight clips from the recordings using The Observer XT. Automatically recognise and log 6 basic emotions, contempt and neutral with the FaceReader software. You can also integrate physiological measures from our MindWare Mobile system.

If you would like to use the lab for a study contact us.

FaceReader now measures interest, boredom and confusion

FaceReader, now measures 3 affective attitudes: ‘boredom’, ‘interest’ and ‘confusion’.  These secondary facial affects are accessible through the Action Unit Module in FaceReader 7.1, on an experimental basis.

These complex affects reflect facial movements over a period of time, rather than at one specific point and take into account additional facial cues such as nodding and head shaking.

Contact us if you'd like to access these new features.

TrackLab

We recently installed TrackLab at Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK, for the tracking and detailed analysis of the spatial behaviour of sheep.

TrackLab is the tracking system designed for the recognition and detailed analysis of spatial behaviour. The software tracks animal movements and can help researchers analyse and understand their behaviour and social interaction patterns. Researchers can gain insights such as where the animals prefer to be, if they are walking, running, standing still or lying down and how these animals transition between areas. Analysis and statistics can be collected for the whole research area or for specific zones; such as by the feeder. Collecting these patterns and activity is all done automatically with TrackLab, which uses Ubisense® Ultra-Wideband (UWB) sensors and tags for precise location tracking.

Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), chose TrackLab to help them understand more clearly the behavioural patterns and activity of sheep.TrackLab measures sheep exploratory behaviours (distance walked, speed etc), location to an accuracy of 15 cm, and eating and drinking patterns (time spent at the feed bunk and drinker stations, at what time of the day etc).

For more information on how TrackLab might help in spatial studies with humans or animals contact us.

Anglia Ruskin University 'Scenes of Crime' Lab

Tracksys recently completed installing 9 observation systems in the brand new Science Centre at Anglia Ruskin University. The systems are based around the Noldus Media Recorder software and high-resolution IP cameras integrated in a fixed lab set-up.

Two of the Noldus Media Recorder systems are based in the Biomedical and Forensic Science Department for recording behaviour in the 'Scenes of Crime' suites. Jo Dawkins, Senior Lecturer, will use the systems for crime scene investigation education and training in undergraduates and post grads.

The systems are used for remote live viewing of undergraduates as they investigate scenes of crime scenarios within the labs and also recording behaviour to review process with the undergraduates.

For more information on our fixed and portable lab solutions contact us.

Lucas Noldus visits the Tracksys offices

We were delighted to welcome Lucas Noldus to the Tracksys offices this month. Regular contact with our partners is important to us but it was particularly exciting to hear news of upcoming developments from the founder himself!

Without including too many spoilers we are expecting 2018 to be the most exciting year yet for Noldus products, with new product releases in human and animal science as well as great new features for existing products like FaceReader above.

If you are planning an ambitious research programme for 2018 and behavioural analysis is a requirement contact us.

Tips and Tricks on Twitter and Facebook

Tracksys is now posting regularly on both Twitter and Facebook; to provide helpful tips on using our products and services, as well as posting what we are up to and where you can find us. Here are the links: https://twitter.com/TracksysLtd and  https://www.facebook.com/TracksysLtd/ - please do follow us.

On our website, we are also posting blogs on topics that we think will be helpful to you; these can be found at: http://www.tracksys.co.uk/blog.

If there is a topic you would like to know more about, then please let us know and we can cover it in future postings.