Microwave-based Homecage Motion Detector

Andreas Genewsky and colleagues from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry have shared the design, construction and validation of a simplified, low-cost, radar-based motion detector for home cage activity monitoring in mice. This simple, open-source device allows for motion detection without visual contact to the animal and can be used with various cage types. It features a custom printed circuit board and motion detector shield for Arduino, which saves raw activity and timestamped data in CSV files onto an SD card; the authors also provide a Python script for data analysis and generation of actograms. This device offers a cost-effective, DIY alternative to optical imaging of home-cage activity.

This research tool was created by your colleagues. Please acknowledge the Principal Investigator, cite the article in which the tool was described, and include an RRID in the Materials and Methods of your future publications. RRID:SCR_021590