Small animal motion simulation equipment and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to small animal motion simulation equipment and a control method thereof.The equipment comprises a supporting part, a connecting part, a clamping part and a floating ball system, the connecting part comprises a first connecting ring and a second connecting ring, the first connecting ring is in first detachable connection with the supporting part, the second connecting ring is in second detachable connection with the clamping part, and the floating ball system is connected with the supporting part; the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring are both arranged parallel to a preset plane, the second connecting ring can horizontally rotate around a first axis relative to the first connecting ring, and the first axis is perpendicular to the preset plane and penetrates through the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring; the clamping part is used for fixing the small animal at a clamping position at the first axis; the floating ball system is used for supporting the small animal at the first axis, and a floating ball in the floating ball system can rotate along any second axis which penetrates through the center of the floating ball and is parallel to the preset plane.

Description

Small animal motion simulation device and control method thereof

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202421311647.1, filed on June 11, 2024, and entitled "A small animal clamping assembly and virtual environment device", the whole content of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of animal behavior, in particular, to a small animal motion simulation device and control method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0003] Scenario memory and spatial cognition are very important functions of the brain, mainly responsible by the hippocampus of the brain, affected by many nervous system diseases. Animal behavior equipment is an important basis for scientific and medical research, which can quantify rich animal behavior indicators, and provide important support for drug development and exploration of disease mechanisms by marking human physiological state.

[0004] The classic method of studying scenario memory and spatial cognition is to place a small animal (such as a mouse) in a room of limited size to freely move, and then observe the discharge activity of neurons in the hippocampus or other brain regions of the mouse, so as to understand the mechanism of its participation in scenario memory and spatial cognition.

[0005] However, this method is restricted by the size, shape and other physical reality factors of the site, and it is also difficult for experimenters to accurately quantify the appearance of the site, and complex scenarios and diversified behavior indicators cannot be collected. Therefore, in recent years, virtual environment devices have appeared, which use virtual reality technology to construct a virtual environment, and make small animals do behavior tasks in the virtual environment.

[0006] The small animal virtual environment device is a behavior experiment device, which can track the motion of small animals and provide immersive and interactive virtual environment.

[0007] Current virtual environment devices are divided into two categories: one-dimensional virtual environment devices and two-dimensional virtual environment devices, and the dimension of the virtual environment refers to the number of directions in which the animal can freely move. In one-dimensional virtual environment devices, the animal's head orientation is fixed, and the animal moves forward in a single direction in the virtual environment. Two-dimensional virtual environment devices allow animals to move forward and backward in two directions, and can freely switch the forward direction by turning the head and body orientation.

[0008] The representative implementation methods of the current virtual environment device include:

[0009] 1) Projector method, for example, a spherical, conical or wide field cloth is set up above the floating ball, the projector projects an image on the cloth by reflection, then the floating ball is turned by the small animal's four paws, and the motion of the floating ball is detected by the external detection device, which is synchronized with the image on the cloth.

[0010] 2) Spliced screen method, multiple screens are spliced to form a wider field of view, the content displayed on it is controlled by the speed and direction of the floating ball of the external detection device.

[0011] 3) Head-mounted, for example, a customized binocular head-mounted display for small animals, the small animal moves on the floating ball, and the virtual environment is displayed accordingly in the head-mounted display. The advantage of this method is that it can greatly increase the width of the field of view.

[0012] In current virtual environment devices, there are two methods to fix or constrain small animals: ① using a harness tied to the chest and abdomen to constrain the small animal; ② implanting a head piece in the head of the small animal that can cooperate with the clamping device, and using the clamping device to constrain the head piece.

[0013] The existing virtual environment devices have the following disadvantages:

[0014] 1) The disadvantage of adding and modifying small recording devices in the virtual environment is complicated

[0015] Currently there is no clear technology to flexibly add posture, eye movement, expression tracking cameras, neural recording devices or other recording devices with a volume less than 1 cubic decimeter in the virtual environment. Adding these devices usually requires replacing or redesigning the clamping fixture, and the addition method is relatively complicated.

[0016] 2) The disadvantage of switching between one-dimensional and two-dimensional environments is complicated

[0017] Currently there is no clear technology to switch the dimension of the virtual environment. Switching dimensions usually requires replacing the small animal clamping fixture, and the replacement method is relatively complicated.

[0018] 3) The disadvantage of the virtual environment imaging display method

[0019] The disadvantage of the projector method is that when implementing a two-dimensional virtual environment, the imaging algorithm is complex, and adding neural recording devices can easily block the projector light path and damage the integrity of the cloth imaging. The disadvantage of the spliced screen method is that in a two-dimensional virtual environment, the spliced position does not display an image, which destroys the integrity of the field of view, and introduces direction visual features unrelated to the virtual environment. The disadvantage of the head-mounted method is that it cannot implement a two-dimensional environment, and it seriously affects the tracking and identification of the small animal's eye movement and expression behavior.

[0020] 4) The disadvantage of the tracking method for the rotation speed of the floating ball

[0021] At present, the rotation speed measurement of the virtual environment floating ball is realized by adding peripheral devices (such as infrared optical mouse), which are prone to frame loss, inaccurate, and have high requirements for the ball surface material and the stability of the floating ball, thereby increasing the process complexity of the floating ball. SUMMARY

[0022] The application provides a small animal motion simulation device and a control method thereof, which can provide multi-degree-of-freedom motion simulation under the condition that the small animal is clamped in place, thereby simplifying and accurately collecting small animal motion data in a simulated environment.

[0023] The first aspect of the embodiment of the application provides a small animal motion simulation device, characterized in that the device comprises a support part, a connecting part, a clamping part and a floating ball system, wherein: the connecting part comprises a first connecting ring and a second connecting ring, the first connecting ring is detachably connected with the support part, the second connecting ring is detachably connected with the clamping part, the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring are both placed parallel to a preset plane, the second connecting ring can rotate around a first axis relative to the first connecting ring, the first axis is perpendicular to the preset plane and passes through the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring; the clamping part is used for fixing the small animal at a clamping position on the first axis; and the floating ball system is used for supporting the small animal at the first axis, and a floating ball in the floating ball system can rotate along any second axis passing through the center of the ball and parallel to the preset plane.

[0024] In some embodiments, the connecting part further comprises a locking member, which can prevent the second connecting ring from rotating relative to the first connecting ring by simultaneously fixing and connecting the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring.

[0025] In some embodiments, the device further comprises one or more extension parts, wherein each extension part comprises a third connecting ring, and the third connecting ring can be connected between the connecting part and the clamping part through a third detachable connection.

[0026] In some embodiments, the one or more extension parts comprise a first extension part, and the first extension part further comprises one or more extension arms connected with the third connecting ring, and each extension arm is used for connecting an extension device.

[0027] In some embodiments, at least one of the first detachable connection, the second detachable connection and the third detachable connection is a magnetic attraction connection.

[0028] In some embodiments, the magnetic attraction connection is realized by a plurality of magnetic attraction components scattered on the surface of the corresponding connecting ring.

[0029] In some embodiments, the extension device comprises a camera.

[0030] In some embodiments, the clamping part comprises an animal behavior detection element for converting animal behavior into an electrical signal and sending to an analysis device through a transmission line passing through the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring.

[0031] In some embodiments, the behavior detection device is used for detecting animal drinking behavior, and the clamping part further comprises a water supply pipe passing through the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring.

[0032] In some embodiments, the clamping part comprises a neural activity detection element, and the neural activity detection device is used for converting the neural activity of the animal into an electrical signal and sending to an analysis device through a transmission line passing through the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring.

[0033] In some embodiments, the behavior detection device comprises an adjusting part for adjusting the position of the animal behavior detection element in a first direction and a second direction, wherein the first direction is parallel to the first axis, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first axis and parallel to the preset plane.

[0034] In some embodiments, a gyroscope is fixed in the floating ball, and the gyroscope is used to send the rotation information of the floating ball to a motion analysis device.

[0035] In some embodiments, the device further comprises a cylindrical screen, wherein the axial direction of the cylindrical screen is parallel to the first axis, and the cylindrical screen is used to at least surround the clamping position and display a virtual motion environment through the inner wall thereof.

[0036] In some embodiments, the device further comprises a displacement mechanism for translating the cylindrical screen along the first axis.

[0037] In some embodiments, the device further comprises an air supply pipeline, wherein the air supply pipeline is used to supply air to make the floating ball float.

[0038] A second aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a control method of a small animal motion simulation device. The method can be used for any of the foregoing small animal motion simulation devices, and is characterized in that it comprises: obtaining a workflow, wherein the workflow comprises a plurality of operation instruction blocks and a connection relationship between the plurality of operation instruction blocks, each operation instruction block is used to instruct a preset operation object associated with the small animal motion simulation device and a preset operation, and the connection relationship is used to instruct a secondary operation instruction block of each operation instruction block, the secondary operation instruction block being a next operation instruction block to be executed after the execution of the operation instruction block; and sequentially running the plurality of operation instruction blocks according to the connection relationship.

[0039] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: editing the plurality of operation instruction blocks respectively; wherein the step of obtaining the workflow comprises: obtaining the edited operation instruction blocks; and specifying a corresponding secondary operation instruction block for each edited operation instruction block to obtain the connection relationship.

[0040] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: in response to a user operation, changing a secondary operation instruction block of a first operation instruction block in the operation instruction blocks indicated by the connection relationship to a second operation instruction block to obtain an updated connection relationship; wherein when the plurality of operation instruction blocks does not include the second operation instruction block, the updated connection relationship is further used to indicate the secondary operation instruction block of the second operation instruction block.

[0041] In some embodiments, in the plurality of operation instruction blocks, at least one operation instruction block has a plurality of secondary operation instruction blocks, and the connection relationship further indicates a correspondence between a plurality of operation results of the operation instruction block and the plurality of secondary operation instruction blocks, the operation result being a result obtained by performing the preset operation on the preset operation object.

[0042] In some embodiments, when the at least one operation instruction block includes the first operation instruction block, the step of changing the secondary operation instruction block of the first operation instruction block in the operation instruction blocks indicated by the connection relationship to the second operation instruction block comprises: changing at least one secondary operation instruction block of the first operation instruction block to the second operation instruction block.

[0043] In some embodiments, at least the first operation instruction block and the second operation instruction block are displayed in a graphical visualization interface; and the step of changing the secondary operation instruction block of the first operation instruction block in the operation instruction blocks indicated by the connection relationship to the second operation instruction block comprises: setting the displayed second operation instruction block as the secondary operation instruction block of the first operation instruction block by performing an association operation in the graphical visualization interface.

[0044] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: displaying the plurality of operation instruction blocks in a graphical visualization interface; and the step of specifying a corresponding secondary operation instruction block for each edited operation instruction block comprises: specifying a corresponding secondary operation instruction block for each edited operation instruction block by performing an association operation in the graphical visualization interface.

[0045] In some embodiments, the association operation comprises: in the graphical visualization interface, dragging the displayed second operation instruction block to the displayed first operation instruction block.

[0046] In some embodiments, the association operation comprises: in the graphical visualization interface, dragging the displayed corresponding secondary instruction block to the edited operation instruction block.

[0047] In some embodiments, the preset object comprises one or more of a numerical value, a string, an array, a file, a hardware device, a serial port, and a thread; and the preset operation comprises one or more of data reading, data writing, thread starting, and file generation.

[0048] In some embodiments, the plurality of operation instruction blocks comprises: a beacon generation instruction block for generating a beacon at a first coordinate in a virtual environment; and a position detection instruction block for determining a position of the small animal in the virtual environment in real time based on rotation of the floating ball and judging whether the position is within a preset range around the first coordinate; wherein the motion detection instruction block is a secondary operation instruction block of the beacon generation instruction block.

[0049] In some embodiments, the plurality of operation instruction blocks further comprises: a timing starting instruction block for starting a timer; a timing instruction block for judging whether a starting duration of the timer reaches a preset duration; and a timing termination instruction block for terminating the timer; wherein the timing instruction block is a secondary operation instruction block of the timing starting instruction block, the beacon generation instruction block is a secondary operation instruction block corresponding to a case where the starting duration of the timing instruction block does not reach the preset duration, the timing termination instruction block is a secondary operation instruction block corresponding to a case where the timing instruction block reaches the preset duration, and the timing termination instruction block is also a secondary operation instruction block of the position detection instruction block.

[0050] In some embodiments, the beacon generation instruction block is specifically configured to: randomly determine the first coordinate; and display the beacon in the virtual environment according to the first coordinate.

[0051] In some embodiments, the plurality of operation instruction blocks further comprises: a device service starting instruction block for starting a motion detection device; and a device service termination instruction block for stopping the motion detection device; wherein the motion detection device comprises one or more of the floating ball system, a camera, a microscope, and a neuromorphic probe.

[0052] A third aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a small animal motion simulation system, comprising: the small animal motion simulation device as described above; a motion data analysis device for acquiring small animal motion data from the small animal motion simulation device and analyzing the motion data of the small animal; and a controller for controlling the small animal motion simulation device to present a virtual motion environment and collect the small animal motion data.

[0053] In summary, the application provides a small animal motion simulation device, which provides freedom of motion for small animals through detachable connecting rings, thereby ensuring that the simulation of small animal motion has good results. Meanwhile, the detachable connecting rings can provide good scalability for the modules of the device, and provide space for the wiring of the extended device, thereby avoiding interference of the simulation of small animal motion by connecting lines and other components. On the other hand, the workflow is constructed through modular operation instruction blocks, and the small animal motion simulation device is controlled through the workflow, which greatly expands the functions of the device, facilitates the operation of the device by experimenters, and can meet the needs of diversified simulation experiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0054] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the application, and therefore should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can also be obtained without creative labor on the basis of these drawings.

[0055] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a small animal motion simulation device according to an embodiment of the application;

[0056] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a small animal motion simulation device according to an embodiment of the application;

[0057] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a small animal motion simulation device according to an embodiment of the application;

[0058] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a small animal motion simulation device according to another embodiment of the application;

[0059] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a small animal motion simulation device according to still another embodiment of the application;

[0060] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a top view of a third connecting ring of a small animal motion simulation device according to an embodiment of the application;

[0061] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a bottom view of a third connecting ring of a small animal motion simulation device according to an embodiment of the application;

[0062] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a small animal motion simulation device according to still another embodiment of the application;

[0063] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a cylindrical screen of a small animal motion simulation device according to still another embodiment of the application;

[0064] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a floating ball of a small animal motion simulation device according to still another embodiment of the application;

[0065] Fig. 11 is a flowchart of a control method of a small animal motion simulation device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of a workflow structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] Fig. 13 is a flowchart of a control method of a small animal motion simulation device according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0068] Fig. 14 is a flowchart of a control method of a small animal motion simulation device according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0069] Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram of a workflow structure according to another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0070] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present application. The components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0071] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the positions or location relationships indicated by the terms “inner”, “outer” and the like are based on the positions or location relationships shown in the drawings, or the positions or location relationships in which the products of the present application are usually placed, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the devices or elements must have a particular position, be constructed and operated in a particular position, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. In addition, the terms “first”, “second” and the like are only used for differentiation and description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0072] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms “set”, “connected” should be understood broadly, for example, can be fixedly connected, can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or can be connected inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0073]

[0074] The small animal motion simulation device in the present application is mainly used for behavioral experiments of small animals, and provides an immersive and interactive virtual environment for small animals by holding the small animals in a fixed position and tracking the motion of the small animals.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the small animal motion simulation device in the embodiment of the present application comprises a support part 5, a connecting part 1, a clamping part 2 and a floating ball system 8.

[0076] The support part 5 is mainly used to provide support for the whole device, and the connecting part 1 is mainly used to form a connecting structure, facilitating the installation and connection of the clamping part 2. The clamping part 2 is mainly used to clamp small animals, facilitating their motion in place in the clamped state, in combination with the virtual environment device, and the rolling floating ball 8, so that the small animals can perform motion in place in the clamped state.

[0077] The connecting part 1 comprises a first connecting ring 12 and a second connecting ring 13. The first connecting ring 12 is mainly used to provide an installation base, and the second connecting ring 13 is specifically used to connect with the clamping part 2. Specifically, the first connecting ring 12 has a first detachable connection with the support part 5, and the second connecting ring has a second detachable connection with the clamping part. In some embodiments, the first connecting ring 12 and the second connecting ring 13 are placed in parallel on a preset plane. The second connecting ring 13 can rotate around the first axis relative to the first connecting ring, and the first axis is perpendicular to the preset plane and passes through the first connecting ring 12 and the second connecting ring 13. For example, the preset plane can be a horizontal plane, and the first axis can be a vertical axis passing through the first connecting ring 12 and the second connecting ring 13. In some embodiments, the first axis can pass through the geometric centers of the two connecting rings.

[0078] In some embodiments, at least one of the first detachable connection and the second detachable connection can be a magnetic attraction connection. For example, the support part 5 and the first connecting ring 12 are connected in a magnetic attraction manner, and / or the clamping part 2 and the second connecting ring 13 are connected in a magnetic attraction manner, thereby facilitating the disassembly and assembly of the connecting part 1 and the clamping part 2, reducing the operation difficulty and improving the efficiency. In some embodiments, in order to realize the above-mentioned magnetic attraction connection, a plurality of magnetic attraction components can be distributed on the surface of the corresponding connecting ring. Referring to FIG. 3, the bottom wall of the second connecting ring 13 is provided with a plurality of ring magnets 13a, and the plurality of ring magnets 13a are uniformly distributed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the second connecting ring 13. At the same time, the clamping part 2 comprises a top connecting ring 21, and the top wall of the top connecting ring 21 is provided with a plurality of clamping magnets 21a. The clamping magnets 21a are arranged correspondingly with the ring magnets 13a on the second connecting ring, and through the cooperation between the ring magnets 13a and the clamping magnets 21a, the magnetic attraction disassembly and assembly can be facilitated.

[0079] In some embodiments, a bearing 14 is arranged between the first connecting ring 12 and the second connecting ring 13, which can enable the second connecting ring 13 to rotate relative to the first connecting ring 12 with low friction. Further, after the clamping part 2 is connected to the second connecting ring 13, the small animal in the clamped state can rotate in a full angle direction of 360°, and then in combination with the virtual environment device, the small animal can be fully immersed in the virtual scene to perform a two-dimensional angle virtual experiment.

[0080] The clamping part 2 is used to fix the small animal at a clamping position of the first axis. In some embodiments, the clamping part 2 comprises a clamping body 23, and the abutting ring 21 is arranged on the top of the clamping body 23 to realize the connection with the connecting part 1. The clamping body 23 is used to clamp a specific part of the small animal, such as the head, the torso, etc., which can be set according to actual test requirements. In some embodiments, the clamping part 2 comprises an animal behavior detection element, which is used to convert the animal behavior into an electrical signal and send it to an analysis device through a transmission line passing through the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring.

[0081] The floating ball system 8 is used to support the small animal at the first axis, and the floating ball 81 in the floating ball system 8 can rotate along any second axis passing through the center of the ball and parallel to the preset plane. For example, the floating ball 81 can be a gas-filled hollow spherical body. For example, when the preset plane is a horizontal plane, the second axis is a horizontal axis, and at this time the floating ball 81 can rotate relative to any horizontal axis.

[0082] In some embodiments, the connecting part 1 further comprises a locking part 3. The locking part 3 can prevent the second connecting ring 13 from rotating relative to the first connecting ring 12 by being fixedly connected with the first connecting ring 12 and the second connecting ring 13. That is, by arranging the locking part 3, the relative positions of the first connecting ring 12 and the second connecting ring 13 can be locked to disable the relative rotation function of the two. In this way, the small animal can be controlled to run in a single direction at a fixed angle, so that the small animal can fully immerse in the virtual scene to perform one-dimensional angle virtual experiments.

[0083] Please continue to refer to FIG. 2. The locking part 3 can be magnetically attracted and fixed with the first connecting ring 12 and the second connecting ring 13 and / or the clamping part 2 at the same time, so as to control whether the second connecting ring 13 and / or the clamping part 2 can rotate relative to the first connecting ring 12. For example, when the clamping part 2 is not installed, the locking part 3 is attracted between the first connecting ring 12 and the second connecting ring 13, which can lock the positions of the second connecting ring 13 and the first connecting ring 12. For example, when the clamping part 2 is installed, the locking part 3 is attracted between the first connecting ring 12 and the clamping part 2, and in combination with the magnetic attraction of the clamping part 2 and the second connecting ring 13, the locking part 3 can lock the relative positions of the clamping part 2, the second connecting ring 13 and the first connecting ring 12. In this way, by controlling whether the second connecting ring 13 and / or the clamping part 2 can rotate relative to the first connecting ring 12 through the locking part 3, the scene can be quickly switched, so that the small animal can perform virtual movement in different scenes.

[0084] Please refer to FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the connecting part 1 comprises a first ring frame 11, and a first connecting ring 12 is arranged at the bottom of the first ring frame 11 and can be integrated with the first ring frame 11. In some embodiments, the bearing 14 is a head bearing for controlling the rotation of the head of a small animal, one ring of the head bearing is fixed with the first connecting ring 12, and the other ring of the head bearing is fixed with the second connecting ring 13. For example, the two rings of the head bearing can be fixed with the inner side of the first connecting ring 12 and the outer side of the second connecting ring 13 respectively by magnetic attraction or adhesion. In this way, in combination with the clamping of the small animal by the clamping part 2 and the butt joint of the second connecting ring 13 with the clamping part 2, the clamping part 2 and the second connecting ring 13 can be relatively rotated with low friction relative to the first connecting ring 12 without the locking part 3, so that the small animal can run on the ground in all angular directions.

[0085] In some embodiments, a first side magnet 11a is arranged at the side of the first ring frame 11, and / or a second side magnet 22 is arranged at the side of the clamping part 2. The positions of the magnets 11a and 22 can be determined based on the circumferential position of the corresponding magnet 22 on the locking part 3 when the locking part 3 is fixed by magnetic attraction with the first connecting ring 12 and the second connecting ring 13 or the clamping part 2. For example, in FIG. 3, the locking part 3 comprises a bifurcated locking block 31, and the locking block 31 is provided with locking magnets 31a corresponding to the magnets 11a and 22 respectively, at this time, the positions of the magnets 31a correspond to the positions of the magnets 11a and 22 to realize the locking function of the locking part 3. Through the above matching form, the magnetic attraction disassembly of the locking part 3 between the connecting part 1 and the clamping part 2 can be facilitated, and the switching between one-dimensional virtual scenes and two-dimensional virtual scenes can be facilitated to the greatest extent.

[0086] In some use scenarios, in addition to the basic clamping, it is also necessary to track and record the expressions, postures and other data of small animals during the experiment. The installation of the recording device can be achieved by adding a modular component between the connecting part 1 and the clamping part 2. In some embodiments, the small animal motion simulation device further comprises one or more extension parts, wherein each extension part comprises a third connecting ring, and the third connecting ring is connectable to between the connecting part 1 and the clamping part 2 through a third detachable connection. The first extension part in the extension part can be used to connect an extension device for recording data. In some embodiments, the first extension part further comprises one or more extension arms connected to the third connecting ring thereof, and each extension arm is used to connect an extension device. The form of the extension device can be determined according to the specific test requirements. For example, if image acquisition of the small animal is required, a camera or a camera head can be included in the extension device; if the body temperature of the small animal needs to be collected, an infrared thermometer can be included in the extension device. The specific form of the extension device is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In most cases, the extension device connected to the extension arm belongs to a non-contact measurement device.

[0087] It can be understood that, similar to the first detachable connection and the second detachable connection, the third detachable connection can also be achieved through magnetic attraction connection.

[0088] The following takes the recording and tracking module 4 connected with the camera as an example to illustrate the modular third connecting ring in combination with FIGS. 5 to 7. The recording and tracking module 4 is arranged between the second connecting ring 13 and the clamping part 2, and comprises a butt joint block 41, and the top wall and the bottom wall of the butt joint block 41 can be provided with spliced magnets 41a. The magnets 41a can be respectively magnetically attracted to the magnets 13a on the second connecting ring 13 and the magnets 21a on the butt joint ring 21 of the clamping part 2. A plurality of recording and tracking modules can form a longitudinal stack of the recording and tracking modules 4 between the connecting part 1 and the clamping part 2, and extend in the longitudinal direction through splicing.

[0089] Through this kind of setting form, the disassembly and assembly of the recording and tracking module 4 can be facilitated. Further, the butt joint block 41 comprises a ring-shaped butt joint disc 42, and the magnets 41a are arranged on the ring-shaped butt joint disc 42. The ring-shaped butt joint disc 42 can have a corresponding (for example, the same or similar) size with the second connecting ring 13 and the butt joint ring 21 of the clamping part 2, so that, in combination with the magnets, the butt joint and splicing between the recording and tracking modules 4, between the recording and tracking modules 4 and the connecting part 1, and between the recording and tracking modules 4 and the clamping part 2 can be facilitated.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the arms connected to the docking frame form an extended arm structure. The roots of the arms are connected to the side walls of the docking frame, and the tracking cameras are hung on the arms. Therefore, the arrangement of the arms forms the mounting base of the recording instruments, and through the hollow structure of the docking frame, the side wing arms can be added on the outside or inside of the annular docking disc 42, and the position, number and length of the side wing arms can be changed according to actual needs, which is beneficial to installation adjustment.

[0091] Other small recording instruments can also be arranged on the side wing arms, which is convenient for the arrangement and adjustment of recording instruments in different functions, different directions and different levels.

[0092] For example, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a pair of long rear wing arms 43a and a pair of short front wing arms 43b are connected to the docking frame. A pair of posture cameras 44a can be mounted on the rear wing arms 43a, and a pair of expression cameras 44b can be mounted on the front wing arms 43b, so that the posture and expression of small animals can be tracked, captured and recorded at different angles through the four side wing arms.

[0093] In some embodiments, in terms of further components of the connecting part 1, the support part 5 includes two hangers 51, a connecting arm 52 is arranged between the hangers 51, the connecting arm 52 is oppositely connected, and the first ring frame 11 is connected to the bottom of the connecting arm 52.

[0094] In some embodiments, the first connecting ring 12 is arranged at the bottom of the first ring frame 11, the first ring frame 11 is a hollow conical structure, and the first connecting ring 12 is arranged at the bottom of the first ring frame 11. A switching ring 16 is arranged between the docking outer ring 15 and the connecting arm 52, and the docking outer ring 15 and the switching ring 16 can be connected through fastening screws during connection. The first connecting ring 12 at the bottom of the first ring frame 11 and the second connecting ring 13 can be connected through the bearing 14.

[0095] In some embodiments, the clamping part 2 includes a neural activity detection element, and the neural activity detection device is used to convert the neural activity of the animal into an electrical signal and send it to the analysis device through a transmission line. The transmission line passes through the first connecting ring 12, the second connecting ring 13 and the third connecting ring (if present). That is, when the neural activity detection includes cables or wires, these cables or wires pass through the center of the connecting ring, thereby reducing the interference with the relative movement between the connecting part 1 and the clamping part 2. It can be understood that the neural activity detection device is usually contact type, such as brain electrodes, brain probes (such as neural pixel probes), etc.

[0096] In some embodiments, the behavior detection device is used to detect the drinking behavior of an animal, and the clamping portion further comprises a water supply pipe which passes through the first connecting ring 12, the second connecting ring 13 and the third connecting ring (if present). That is, when the behavior detection device comprises a medium passage (for example, a water pipe) other than a cable or a wire, the medium passage can pass through the center of the connecting ring as the cable or the wire does, so as to reduce the interference with the relative movement between the connecting portion 1 and the clamping portion 2.

[0097] In some embodiments, the behavior detection device comprises an adjusting portion which is used to adjust the position of the animal behavior detection element in a first direction and a second direction. The first direction can be parallel to the first axis, and the second direction can be perpendicular to the first axis and parallel to a preset plane. That is, if the preset plane is a horizontal plane and the first axis is a vertical axis, the first direction is a vertical direction and the second direction is a horizontal direction. At this time, the position of the behavior detection device can be adjusted in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. The above arrangement can make the behavior detection device match the posture or the size of a small animal, so as to ensure the accuracy of the behavior detection.

[0098] The structure of the behavior detection device will be described below by taking a drinking behavior detection device for a mouse as an example. As shown in FIG. 8, the clamping device 23 comprises a head 24 which can be fixed on the clamping device 23 by a screw. The lower part of the clamping device 23 is provided with an arc-shaped bent plate 25, and the arc-shaped bent plate 25 is connected with a sensing block 26 which is mainly opposite to the face of a small animal. A drinking nozzle 26a is arranged on the sensing block 26 and is fixed on a head-tail shaft sliding block 26b which is installed on the sensing block 26. Further, the head-tail shaft sliding block 26b is connected with a back-abdomen shaft sliding block 26d by a head-tail shaft fine adjustment screw 26c, and the back-abdomen shaft sliding block 26d is fixedly connected with the sensing block 26 by a back-abdomen shaft fine adjustment screw 26e.

[0099] By adjusting the head-tail shaft fine adjustment screw 26c and the back-abdomen shaft fine adjustment screw 26e, the back-abdomen shaft sliding block 26d and the head-tail shaft sliding block 26b can be moved along the back-abdomen shaft (i.e., the first direction mentioned above) and the head-tail shaft sliding block 26b can be moved along the head-tail shaft (i.e., the second direction mentioned above), respectively, so as to adjust the position of the drinking nozzle 26a which is connected with a water pipe and used to supply water.

[0100] The connecting ring 21 is arranged on the top of the clamping device 23, and a magnet 21a is embedded on the top wall of the connecting ring 21. The clamping device 23 is also a hollow ring structure, and a circuit board 26g is embedded on the inner back side of the clamping device 23. Micro infrared tubes 26f are arranged on both sides of the drinking nozzle 26a and are electrically connected with the circuit board 26g. When a small animal such as a mouse licks water, the tongue blocks the light path of the micro infrared tubes 26f, the circuit board 26g captures the signal and transmits the signal out through a transmission line.

[0101] Thus, the magnet 13a at the bottom of the connecting part 1 of the double-ring structure can be magnetically attracted and attached to the magnet 41a at the top of the recording and tracking module 4. Similarly, the magnet 41a at the bottom of the recording and tracking module 4 can be magnetically attracted and attached to the magnet 21a at the top of the clamping part 2. By the same method, more modules can be added to the clamping assembly in a longitudinal stack to expand different functions.

[0102] The locking part 3 specifically realizes the head locking function of the small animal. When the virtual environment is switched from a two-dimensional scene to a one-dimensional scene, the magnet 31a at the upper part of the head locking part is magnetically attracted and fixed to the magnet 11a on the first ring frame 11, and the magnet 31a at the lower part of the locking block 31 is magnetically attracted and fixed to the magnet 22 on the side of the second connecting ring 13 or the clamping part 2, thereby achieving the technical purpose of fixing the mouse head.

[0103] Please refer to FIG. 1. The small animal motion simulation device can further include a cabinet 6, in which a display system 7 and the various components of the aforementioned small animal motion simulation device are arranged. The cabinet 6 is used to accommodate the display system 7 and other components, and the inner side of the cabinet 6 can be lined with soundproof cotton and electrostatic shielding metal mesh.

[0104] In some embodiments, the small animal motion simulation device includes a cylindrical screen 71. The cylindrical screen 71 can be part of the display system 7. The axial direction of the cylindrical screen 71 is parallel to the first axis, and the cylindrical screen 71 is used to at least surround the clamping position and display a virtual motion environment through its inner wall.

[0105] Please refer to FIG. 9. In some embodiments, the cylindrical screen 71 is used to provide a virtual environment for the small animal, for example, it can be a flexible cylindrical ring scene screen as shown in FIG. 1. In actual application, the flexible cylindrical ring scene screen can be a 360° flexible cylindrical inward ring scene LED screen with an electromagnetic shielding surface, the inner diameter of the ring scene screen is > 50 cm, and the lifting range is > 40 cm.

[0106] In some embodiments, the small animal motion simulation device further includes a displacement mechanism for translating the cylindrical screen 71 along the first axis. For example, the display system 7 can include a telescopic support 72, a telescopic motor 73, and a screen body cover 74 in addition to the cylindrical screen 71. In actual application, the length of the telescopic support 72 can be greater than 40 cm. The output end of the telescopic motor 73 can be connected with the telescopic support 72 for controlling the telescopic movement of the telescopic support 72, and the stroke is equal to the length of the telescopic support 72.

[0107] The cylindrical screen 71 can be arranged on the inner side of the screen body cover 74, and the end of the telescopic support 72 is connected with the side wall of the screen body cover 74, so that the screen body cover 74 and the cylindrical screen 71 can be controlled to lift and lower under the action of the telescopic motor 73 and the telescopic support 72.

[0108] The inner side of the cylindrical screen screen 71 can be covered with a transparent electromagnetic shielding screen, which covers the surface of the cylindrical screen 71. In practical applications, its thickness can be less than 200um.

[0109] In practical applications, the floating ball 81 can be a gas-filled hollow sphere for carrying small animals and allowing them to run on the top of the sphere. The weight of the gas-filled hollow sphere can be 80-160g. In some embodiments, the small animal motion simulation device further comprises a blowing pipeline, wherein the blowing pipeline is used to blow the floating ball. Please continue to refer to Figure 1, the floating ball system 8, in addition to the gas-filled hollow sphere 81 as the main body, can also include a support platform 82, a blowing pipeline 83 and a limiting support 84 arranged inside the cabinet 6.

[0110] Specifically, the support platform 82 is used to install the gas-filled hollow sphere 81, the blowing pipeline 83 is arranged at the bottom of the support platform 82, the limiting support 84 is installed at the top of the support platform 82, and the gas-filled hollow sphere 81 is limitedly installed on the limiting support 84. In use, the floating ball is blown up by the fan through the blowing pipeline 83, the fan air volume can be 500-1000m3 / h, and through the form of the gas-filled sphere, it can be used to allow small animals to sit and follow the in-place running of small animals to roll in place, to enhance the virtual experience of small animals.

[0111] In some embodiments, a gyroscope is fixed in the floating ball 81, which is used to send the rotation information of the floating ball to the motion analysis device. For example, please refer to Figure 10, the gas-filled hollow sphere 81 includes two hollow hemispheres 81a that are docked and assembled, a support frame 81b is arranged inside the sphere, and a gyroscope 81c is attached and arranged on the support frame 81b. Lithium batteries 81d can also be arranged on the support frame 81b, and a magnetic charging port is arranged on the spherical surface.

[0112] In practical applications, the gyroscope 81c can send the quaternion attitude to the PLC through Bluetooth transmission. For example, the attitude of the floating ball at each time t is represented by q(t), the interval between two measurement frames is Δt, the angular velocity ω of the floating ball rotation is Rθ[q^(-1)(t-Δt)q(t) / Δt], R represents the radius of the floating ball, and θ represents the amplitude angle of the quaternion in unit time and filtering.

[0113] By integrating the gyroscope 81c inside the floating ball and using the quaternion algorithm to calculate the rotation speed, the addition of cumbersome sensors outside the floating ball is avoided, which not only improves the signal accuracy, but also reduces the requirement for the texture pattern of the spherical surface, and the floating ball rotation speed can be tracked more accurately.

[0114] In a specific device structure, the cabinet 6 is electrostatically shielded, soundproofed and noise reduced, the floating ball system 8 is a gas floating hollow ball body with a 9 or 10 axis gyroscope 81c inside, and the rotation speed of the ball body is inferred using the formula. The support platform 82 and the limiting support 84 limit the floating ball in the center of the device, the fan blows up the floating ball through the air supply pipeline 83, and the small animals are fixed on the central axis of the flexible cylindrical ring screen through the clamping assembly.

[0115] Compared with the existing virtual environment device, the application can conveniently add and modify small recording devices in the virtual environment, the modular clamping system allows multiple expansion modules to be stacked vertically, and the second connecting ring 13 remains relatively stationary. By fixing small recording devices on each expansion module, it allows convenient and efficient tracking of small animal behavior, recording of neural signals, etc. Data transmission lines, water pipes, etc. can pass through the hollow inner and outer rings, so there is no need to replace or redesign the clamping device, greatly facilitating the recording and research of behavior and neural signals. By using the cooperation of the second connecting ring 13, the first connecting ring 12 and the bearing 14, the small animals can move in any direction in the environment, forming a two-dimensional virtual environment paradigm. By using the locking part 3, the second connecting ring 13 and the first connecting ring 12 can be relatively locked, so that the small animals cannot move in two dimensions and can only move in one direction, forming a one-dimensional virtual environment paradigm. This method does not require replacement or redesign of the clamping device, greatly facilitating the switching of paradigms.

[0116] The cylindrical screen 71 has complete symmetry on the one hand, so that there is no direction prompt in the environment. On the other hand, the cylindrical screen 71 can emit light by itself, and there is no shadow caused by external recording instruments blocking the light path. By designing the cylindrical screen 71 to be liftable, it is convenient for experimenters to operate the small animals inside. By erecting an electromagnetic shielding net on the surface of the cylindrical screen 71, the electromagnetic noise level in the device can be reduced to below 50uV, improving the recording accuracy of neural electrical signals.

[0117] According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a control method of a small animal motion environment simulation device is provided. The control method can be applied to any of the small animal motion simulation devices described in the preceding embodiments. Referring to FIG. 11, in the embodiments of the present application, the method can include the following steps S120 and S140:

[0118] S120, obtaining a workflow, wherein the workflow contains a plurality of operation instruction blocks and a connection relationship between the plurality of operation instruction blocks, each operation instruction block is used to instruct a preset operation object associated with the small animal motion simulation device and a preset operation, and the connection relationship is used to instruct a secondary operation instruction block of each operation instruction block. The secondary operation instruction block is the next operation instruction block to be executed after the execution of the operation instruction block.

[0119] In the embodiments of the present application, a workflow is first acquired, which can include a plurality of operation instruction blocks. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the workflow can include operation instruction blocks a to f. Each operation instruction block can specifically embody a series (for example, one or more) of computer readable instructions for implementing a specific operation or a specific function. For example, one operation instruction block can be a plurality of instructions for starting a floating ball, a plurality of instructions for lifting a cylindrical screen, a plurality of instructions for collecting camera data, a plurality of instructions for calculating the position change of a small animal in a virtual environment through a gyroscope, and the like. The workflow can also include a connection relationship between a plurality of instruction blocks. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the connection relationship can be used to indicate the execution order between operation instruction blocks. For example, after executing operation instruction block a, the next operation instruction block to be executed is operation instruction block b; after executing operation instruction block c, the next operation instruction block to be executed is operation instruction block d; and after executing operation instruction block d or e, the next operation instruction block to be executed is operation instruction block f.

[0120] In the embodiments of the present application, the plurality of operation instruction blocks can include one or more of the following instruction blocks, which are suitable for simulating the movement environment of a small animal.

[0121] A beacon generation instruction block is used to generate a beacon at a first coordinate in a virtual environment. The beacon can be a virtual object visible to a small animal on a display device (for example, a cylindrical screen) of a small animal movement simulation device. In some embodiments, the beacon generation instruction block is used to randomly determine the first coordinate and display the beacon in the virtual environment according to the first coordinate. That is, it can implement the function of randomly generating the position of the beacon.

[0122] A position detection instruction block is used to determine the position of a small animal in a virtual environment in real time based on the rotation of the floating ball, and to determine whether the position is located within a preset range around the first coordinate. In some application scenarios, the movement detection instruction block can be a secondary operation instruction block of the beacon generation instruction block.

[0123] A timing start instruction block is used to start a timer. The timer can time any link of a simulated experiment.

[0124] A timing instruction block is used to determine whether the duration of the start of the timer reaches a preset duration. In some application scenarios, the timing instruction block can be a secondary operation instruction block of the timing start instruction block.

[0125] A timing termination instruction block is used to terminate the timer. In some application scenarios, the timing termination instruction block is a secondary operation instruction block of the timing instruction block reaching the preset duration.

[0126] The timing instruction block can be combined with various instruction blocks to implement functions related to timing. For example, the beacon generation instruction block can be a secondary operation instruction block corresponding to the timing instruction block when the corresponding starting duration does not reach the preset duration, and the timing termination instruction block is a secondary operation instruction block of the position detection instruction block. That is, when the timing does not reach the threshold, a beacon can be generated for the small animal, and the timing will be terminated when the small animal reaches the beacon or when the timing reaches the threshold. This combination can implement, for example, the ability of the small animal to find the beacon within the preset duration.

[0127] The device service starting instruction block is configured to start the motion detection device. The motion detection device can be one or more of the aforementioned floating ball system, camera, microscope, and neuropixel probe, or other motion detection devices, which are not limited in the present application.

[0128] The device service termination instruction block is configured to stop the motion detection device.

[0129] In the embodiments of the present application, the preset object can include one or more of a numerical value, a string, an array, a file, a hardware device, a serial port, and a thread, and the preset operation can include one or more of data reading, data writing, thread starting, and file generation.

[0130] In some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of operation instruction blocks has a plurality of secondary operation instruction blocks. In this case, the connection relationship further indicates a corresponding relationship between the operation results of the operation instruction block and the plurality of secondary operation instruction blocks. The operation result is the result obtained by performing the preset operation on the preset operation object. That is, in some cases, the execution order indicated in the connection relationship can be conditional. Still referring to FIG. 12, if condition X is met after operation instruction block b is executed, the next operation instruction block to be executed is operation instruction block c, and if condition X is not met, the next operation instruction block to be executed is operation instruction block e. Condition X here can be understood as a condition met by the operation result of operation instruction block b. For example, operation instruction block b represents the calculation of the virtual position coordinates of the small animal at a specific time, and the virtual position coordinates are its operation result. Condition X can be that the virtual position coordinates are within a preset range. At this time, operation instruction block c represents the subsequent operation when the virtual position coordinates are within the preset range, for example, terminating the experiment, and operation instruction block e represents the subsequent operation when the virtual position coordinates are not within the preset range, for example, restarting the position detection for a new round.

[0131] In the embodiments of the present application, the connection relationship can be embodied as an identifier related to each operation instruction block, which is used to indicate the corresponding next instruction block to be executed. When there is a conditional execution case, the connection relationship can also be embodied as a logical judgment instruction associated with the identifier, which is used to judge whether the corresponding condition is met.

[0132] S140, sequentially running the plurality of operation instruction blocks according to the connection relationship.

[0133] It can be understood that, since the connection relationship indicates the next level of each operation instruction block and / or the next level under the corresponding condition, as long as the initially executed operation instruction block is specified, the workflow can be run by sequentially executing the operation instruction blocks.

[0134] In the embodiments of the present application, the workflow can be obtained by editing. Please refer to FIG. 13, in some embodiments, the control method can further include step S110.

[0135] S110, respectively editing a plurality of operation instruction blocks.

[0136] Correspondingly, step S120 can include steps S122 and S124.

[0137] S122, obtaining the edited operation instruction blocks.

[0138] In the embodiments of the present application, the editing of the operation instruction block can be understood as the generation process of the operation instruction block, that is, forming the corresponding operation instruction block by writing a series of operation instructions. In actual application, it can be written from zero by human and / or artificial intelligence network, or it can be written on the basis of a preset instruction block template by human and / or artificial intelligence network. For example, the preset instruction block template can be a template of the data acquisition instruction block, at this time, when editing the data acquisition instruction block, it can only be necessary to modify the parameter representing the data acquisition frequency on the basis of the template.

[0139] S124, specifying the corresponding secondary operation instruction block for each edited operation instruction block to obtain the connection relationship.

[0140] In the embodiments of the present application, in order to generate the workflow, after writing the plurality of operation instruction blocks, it is necessary to specify the secondary operation instruction block for each operation instruction block to determine the execution order between the plurality of operation instruction blocks. Still taking FIG. 12 as an example, after writing the operation instruction blocks a to f, the secondary operation instruction block can be specified for each operation instruction block according to the relationship shown in the figure, so as to obtain the workflow.

[0141] In the embodiments of the present application, in order to realize different functions by using the small animal motion simulation device, the operator can modify the workflow that has been formed. The modification can be divided into the modification of the operation instruction block and the modification of the connection relationship.

[0142] The operation instruction blocks contained in the workflow obtained can at least include the following two kinds. One is the operation instruction block without modification, which is generally more versatile or necessary for small animal motion simulation device, such as device startup instruction block, initialization instruction block, self-check instruction block, shutdown instruction block, etc. The other is the instruction block that can be modified by the user, which generally has definable parameters. For example, in the instruction block for monitoring the motion of small animals, parameters such as data acquisition frequency, motion boundary of small animals, etc. can be set. For example, in the instruction block for simulating the setting of a virtual environment, parameters such as the position, shape, color, etc. of virtual objects in the environment can be set. For the latter kind of instruction block, the operator can modify it using electronic devices (such as computers, handheld terminals, etc.), and then the control device of the small animal motion simulation device can directly obtain the edited operation instruction block when obtaining the workflow. For example, at this time, the editing of the operation instruction block can be to modify the image acquisition frequency of the camera from 30 frames per second to 60 frames per second.

[0143] The modification of the connection relationship can refer to FIG. 14, and on the basis of FIG. 11, the control method can further include step S160.

[0144] S160, in response to the user operation, changing the secondary operation instruction block of the first operation instruction block in the operation instruction blocks indicated by the connection relationship to the second operation instruction block to obtain an updated connection relationship. Wherein when the plurality of operation instruction blocks do not include the second operation instruction block, the updated connection relationship is further used to indicate the secondary operation instruction block of the second operation instruction block.

[0145] In some cases, the modification of the connection relationship only involves using the existing operation instruction blocks in the workflow. For example, there are timer start instruction block, motion coordinate detection instruction block, virtual object refresh instruction block in the workflow for sequentially executing the following functions: judging whether the small animal reaches the coordinate where the virtual object is located within a preset time, and generating a virtual object at a new random position if it fails to reach within the preset time. At this time, the modification can be to delete the motion coordinate detection instruction block, that is, to change the secondary instruction block of the timer start instruction block from the motion coordinate detection instruction block to the virtual object refresh instruction block, so as to update the function to generate a virtual object at a new random position after the preset time ends.

[0146] In some cases, the modification of the connection relationship involves an operation instruction block that has not been added to the workflow. For example, there are a timer start instruction block and a virtual object refreshing instruction block in the workflow, which are executed in sequence, for generating a virtual object at a new random position after a preset time. In this case, the modification involves changing the secondary instruction block of the timer start instruction block from the virtual object refreshing instruction block to a motion coordinate detection instruction block that does not exist in the original workflow, and also involves specifying the virtual object refreshing instruction block as the secondary operation instruction block of the motion coordinate detection instruction block, so as to update the function to: determining whether a small animal reaches the coordinate of the virtual object within a preset time, and generating a virtual object at a new random position if the small animal fails to reach the coordinate within the preset time.

[0147] In some embodiments, when the at least one operation instruction block with multiple secondary instruction blocks in the workflow includes a first operation instruction block, the step S160 includes: changing at least one secondary operation instruction block of the first operation instruction block to a second operation instruction block. That is, after the modification, the second operation instruction block can be one of the multiple secondary operation instruction blocks of the first operation instruction block. Of course, regardless of the number of secondary operation instruction blocks of the first operation instruction block, the second operation instruction block itself can also have multiple secondary operation instruction blocks corresponding to different conditions.

[0148] In the foregoing control method, the editing and modification of the workflow can be performed through a graphical visualization interface. In some embodiments, during the process of editing the workflow, the method can include: displaying multiple operation instruction blocks in the graphical visualization interface. The graphical visualization interface here can be displayed on the display device of the control device itself, or can be displayed on the terminal display device of the operator, in which case the terminal of the operator can be in wired or wireless communication connection with the control device. In this case, the step S124 can include: specifying the corresponding secondary operation instruction block for each edited operation instruction block by performing an association operation in the graphical visualization interface. The association operation here can be various operations suitable for the graphical visualization interface, for example, can be dragging the displayed secondary operation instruction block to the corresponding operation instruction block, can be successively clicking the operation instruction block and the corresponding secondary operation instruction block, respectively, or can be forming a visible or invisible connection line between the operation instruction block and the corresponding secondary operation instruction block in the graphical visualization interface by clicking and moving the mouse / touch point, and the present application does not limit this.

[0149] In some embodiments, the method can comprise displaying at least the first operation instruction block and the second operation instruction block in the graphical visualization interface. The graphical visualization interface can display only the first operation instruction block and the second operation instruction block involved in the modification operation, or can display other operation instruction blocks, such as operation instruction blocks other than the first operation instruction block in the workflow and / or operation instruction blocks that can be inserted into the workflow, without limitation. In this case, step S160 can comprise setting the displayed second operation instruction block as a secondary operation instruction block of the first operation instruction block by performing an association operation in the graphical visualization interface. Similar to the foregoing, the association operation can be dragging the displayed second operation instruction block to the displayed first operation instruction block, can be successively clicking the second operation instruction block and the first operation instruction block, respectively, or can be forming a visible or invisible connection line in the graphical visualization interface by clicking and moving the mouse / touch point, without limitation.

[0150] The control method described above in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a programmable logic control system (PLC) or by software running in a computer device. An operator can write a behavior training workflow combined with virtual reality by using the software, control virtual reality devices and other additional neural recording / behavior-related hardware / software by running the workflow, and manage the running records and experimental data of the workflow. In this way, the behavior paradigm or the trained animal can be conveniently verified, and data can be collected through various channels (the device itself and additional hardware). At the same time, most of the experimental functions can be implemented without rewriting the code, and each operation node can be edited and modified in the graphical visualization interface to form a workflow. The operator can also create rich operation instruction blocks for various types of objects according to the actual experimental functions required. In addition, since the same workflow can be run multiple times, the running records of the workflow each time can form complete experimental process data for the experimenter to review.

[0151] The control method described above will be described below through a specific embodiment. In this embodiment, a workflow is established to implement a beacon tracking experiment task of a mouse in a state of thirst. In the task, a 360-degree virtual environment is displayed to the mouse, and the mouse can freely rotate the head in the clamping position to achieve free movement in a two-dimensional plane (horizontal plane) by a floating ball. In each experimental round, a timer is started after a fixed time (for example, 10 seconds after the start of the round), and a beacon of a specific shape (for example, a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 3 cm and a height of 20 cm) appears at a random position in the virtual environment. If the mouse reaches an area within a preset range (for example, within 6 cm) from the beacon, the beacon disappears, and the mouse obtains a quantitative (for example, 50 μL) water reward and ends the round of the experiment. Then, the next round of the experiment is started after a fixed time. A minimum duration (for example, 30 minutes) can be set for the entire task.

[0152] To achieve the above experimental tasks, the following types of objects are first set. Float object, used to store a float number. String object, used to store a string. Expression object, used to store an expression in the form of a string, for example, the expression {x} > 10 is used to judge whether the value of the float object x is greater than 10, and the expression rand() is used to generate a random number. Timer object, used to record the current time stamp when starting the timer, and return the time difference between the current time stamp and the starting time stamp if called in the expression after starting the timer. UDP service object, used to start a UDP thread, for example, to receive a one-dimensional float array (x, y) representing the real-time position of a virtual camera in a virtual environment, and record each array and the time stamp of the receiving time to a csv file. VR service object, used to start two UDP threads to send instructions to control the virtual environment (for example, instructions to display or close the barrel screen), receive instructions from the virtual reality software (for example, instructions representing the arrival of the mouse at the beacon), or control the reward (for example, control the water supply of the water nozzle). Water dispenser object, used to start a serial port thread to control the host board to start the peristaltic pump to supply water by sending instructions to the serial port. Float ball posture monitor object, used to start a serial port thread and a UDP thread to read the quaternion attitude of the gyroscope through wireless communication and calculate the linear velocity, and feed back the linear velocity to the virtual reality software. Camera service object, used to start a thread to read camera data and store video and the time stamp corresponding to each frame.

[0153] In addition, the following types of operation instruction blocks need to be set: 1) a start instruction block, from which the runner always starts running; 2) an end instruction block, at which the runner terminates running; 3) a path acquisition instruction block, which pops up a window for the user to select the storage path of data during running, and stores the path selected by the user into a string object; 4) a camera start instruction block, which is used to start the camera service and video recording, and takes the path represented by the specified string object as the storage location of the recorded video; 5) a camera end instruction block, which is used to terminate the camera service and instruct to create a timestamp file; 6) a UDP start instruction block, which specifies a UDP service object, two float number objects for storing the x and y positions of the mouse obtained by the UDP service object, and a string object for specifying the path of the csv file of the storage location, and instructs the UDP service object to update x and y in real time and store the path of the file after starting the UDP service object; 7) a UDP end instruction block, which specifies a UDP service object and instructs to terminate the UDP process of the object; 8) a VR service start instruction block, which specifies a VR service object and a water dispenser object, and is used to start the VR service object and associate the water dispenser object to the VR service object, so as to directly start the water dispenser when a command is received; 9) a VR service end instruction block, which needs to specify a VR service object, and is used to terminate the service; 10) a float ball service start instruction block, which specifies a float ball posture monitor object and two float number objects for recording the linear velocities in x and y directions. The instruction block starts the float ball posture monitor, and binds the two float numbers to the monitor to update the linear velocity values in real time and send the linear velocity to VR. 11) a float ball service end instruction block, which specifies a float ball posture monitor object, and is used to terminate the service. 12) a timer start instruction block, which specifies a timer, and is used to start the timer. 13) a timer end instruction block, which specifies a timer, and is used to terminate the timer. 14) a conditional instruction block, which specifies an expression object, and returns different values according to whether the result of the running of the expression is true or false. 15) an evaluation instruction block, which is used to evaluate the value of an expression and update the value of a float number object as the value. 16) a delay instruction block, in which the runner will pause for the time recorded by the specified float number object. 17) a beacon placement instruction block, which specifies a VR service object for sending instructions, and two float number objects for indicating the placement positions x and y of the beacon. 18) a wait delay instruction block, which specifies a VR service object, and the runner will pause until the VR software sends a reward-related instruction when the instruction block is running.

[0154] Based on the above operation instruction blocks, please refer to FIG. 15, which shows the workflow composed of various operation instruction blocks. Operation instruction blocks 1 to 8 are used to start the device, and are executed in sequence. The secondary operation instruction block of operation instruction block 8 is operation instruction block 9. Among them, the mark “&” indicates that the execution order of operation instruction blocks 4 and 5 is not limited, that is, they can be executed simultaneously, operation instruction block 4 can be executed first and then operation instruction block 5, operation instruction block 5 can be executed first and then operation instruction block 4, or they can be executed alternately. The meaning of the subsequent mark “&” is similar and will not be repeated. Operation instruction blocks 9 to 14 are used to implement the main loop of the experiment. Among them, the secondary operation instruction block of operation instruction block 9 is operation instruction block 10 (not reached) or operation instruction block 15 (reached) depending on the condition (whether the time reaches the preset time length, for example, 1800 seconds). Operation instruction blocks 10 to 14 are executed in sequence. The secondary operation instruction block of operation instruction block 14 is operation instruction block 9. Operation instruction blocks 15 to 20 are used to end the device running, and are executed in sequence.

[0155] For the start-up process, operation instruction block 1 is a start instruction block; operation instruction block 2 is a path acquisition operation instruction block, which specifies the string object PositionDataPath to set the path of the csv file stored by the UDP service object PositionUDP; operation instruction block 3 is a path instruction block, which specifies BehavDataPath to set the path for storing the video of the camera object BehavCamera; operation instruction block 4 is a camera start instruction block, which specifies the camera object BehavCamera (for example, the camera in front of the left eye of the mouse) and the storage path BehavDataPath; operation instruction block 5 is a UDP start instruction block, which specifies a UDP service object PositionUDP, two floating-point number objects x and y (both initial values are 0), and a string object PositionDataPath; operation instruction block 6 is a VR service start instruction block, which specifies a VR service object VRUDP and a water dispenser object DelivWater; operation instruction block 7 is a floating ball service start instruction block, which specifies a floating ball posture monitor object VRBall, two floating-point number objects vx and vy (both initial values are 0); operation instruction block 8 is a timer start instruction block, which specifies the timer object timer.

[0156] For the main loop of the experiment, operation instruction block 9 is a conditional node with expression HalfAnHourPassed, True pointing to operation instruction block 15 and False pointing to operation instruction block 10; operation instruction block 10 is an evaluation instruction block with expression RandBeaconPosition for randomly generating a beacon x coordinate (e.g., rand() * 94 - 47) and assigning it to bx (initial value 0); operation instruction block 11 is an evaluation instruction block with expression RandBeaconPosition for randomly generating a beacon y coordinate (e.g., rand() * 94 - 47) and assigning it to by (initial value 0); operation instruction block 12 is a delay instruction block with delay delay (initial value 10s); operation instruction block 13 is a beacon placement instruction block with placement position bx, by and VR service VRUDP; operation instruction block 14 is a wait for delay instruction block with VR service VRUDP.

[0157] For the end process, operation instruction block 15 is a timer termination instruction block with timer; operation instruction block 16 is a VRBall service termination instruction block with VRBall; operation instruction block 17 is a VR service termination instruction block with VRUDP; operation instruction block 18 is a UDP termination instruction block with PositionUDP; operation instruction block 19 is a camera termination instruction block with BehavCamera; operation instruction block 20 is an end instruction block.

[0158] In the above experiment process, new object types and operation instruction blocks can also be added. For example, floating-point objects x and y can be sampled at a certain frequency (e.g., 20 Hz) to calculate the coverage of the mouse movement trajectory in the virtual area. For example, the frequency of the mouse reaching different places in the virtual area can be counted, which can be displayed in the form of a heat map through a statistical window. At this time, a coverage object can be added, which corresponds to a certain spatial discretization size (e.g., 5 cm * 5 cm), and a coverage instruction block can be added between operation instruction blocks 8 and 9. The instruction block specifies the coverage object and floating-point objects x and y.

[0159] In the above experimental procedure, new device objects can also be added. For example, a direct connection miniature single-photon microscope and / or a high-throughput neural pixel probe can be added in addition to the camera. At this time, a new device object can be added for the new device, and a new string object can be added for indicating the storage location of the data collected by the new device. Meanwhile, new operation instruction blocks can be added for the new device, such as a new path acquisition instruction block between operation instruction blocks 2 and 3, a new device start instruction block between operation instruction blocks 4 and 5, and a new device start instruction block between operation instruction blocks 18 and 19, all of which are directed to the new device object.

[0160] Another aspect of the embodiments of the present application also provides a small animal motion simulation system, which includes the small animal motion simulation device according to any of the foregoing embodiments, a motion data analysis device, and a controller. The motion data analysis device is configured to acquire small animal motion data from the small animal motion simulation device and analyze the motion data of the small animal. The controller is configured to control the small animal motion simulation device to present a virtual motion environment and collect the small animal motion data. It can be understood that the controller can be used to implement the control method according to any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0161] Another aspect of the embodiments of the present application also provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes a processor and a memory storing computer readable instructions. The computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, are configured to implement the control method according to any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0162] Another aspect of the embodiments of the present application also provides a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable storage medium stores computer readable instructions. The computer readable instructions, when executed by a processor, are configured to implement the control method according to any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0163] Another aspect of the embodiments of the present application also provides a computer software product. The computer software product contains computer readable code. The computer readable code, when read and executed by a processor, is configured to implement the control method according to any of the foregoing embodiments. The computer software product can be stored in a computer readable storage medium.

[0164] The embodiments in the specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts of each embodiment can be referred to each other. For the system disclosed in the embodiments, since it corresponds to the devices and methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the relevant part of the device and method.

[0165] It should be noted that the features of the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other, in the case of no conflict. It should also be noted that, in this document, the terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply that there is any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "contain" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without more limitations, the element defined by the statement "including a" does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element.

[0166] The skilled person can further realize that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be realized in electronic hardware, computer software or a combination of both. In order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, each example has been described in general terms in the above description. Whether the functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. The skilled person can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0167] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can have various changes and modifications. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A small animal motion simulation apparatus, characterized by, The device comprises a support part, a connecting part, a clamping part and a float ball system, wherein: The connecting part comprises a first connecting ring and a second connecting ring, the first connecting ring is detachably connected with the support part, the second connecting ring is detachably connected with the clamping part, the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring are parallel to a preset plane, the second connecting ring can rotate around a first axis relative to the first connecting ring, the first axis is perpendicular to the preset plane and passes through the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring; The clamping part is used for fixing a small animal at a clamping position on the first axis; and The float ball system is used for supporting the small animal at the first axis, and a float ball in the float ball system can rotate along any second axis passing through the center of the float ball and parallel to the preset plane.

2. The small animal motion simulation device of claim 1, wherein, The connecting part further comprises a locking member, the locking member can prevent the second connecting ring from rotating relative to the first connecting ring by simultaneously fixing the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring.

3. The small animal motion simulation device of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising one or more extension parts, wherein: Each extension part comprises a third connecting ring, and the third connecting ring can be connected between the connecting part and the clamping part through a third detachable connection, and The one or more extension parts comprise a first extension part, the first extension part further comprises one or more extension arms connected with the third connecting ring, and each extension arm is used for connecting an extension device.

4. The small animal motion simulation device according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, At least one of the first detachable connection, the second detachable connection and the third detachable connection is a magnetic attraction connection.

5. The small animal motion simulation device of claim 4, wherein, The magnetic attraction connection is realized by a plurality of magnetic attraction components distributed on the surface of the corresponding connecting ring.

6. The small animal motion simulation device of claim 3, wherein, The extension device comprises a camera.

7. The small animal motion simulation device of claim 1, wherein, The clamping part comprises an animal behavior detection element, the behavior detection element is used for converting animal behavior into an electrical signal and sending the electrical signal to an analysis device through a transmission line, and the transmission line passes through the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring.

8. The small animal motion simulation device of claim 7, wherein, The behavior detection device is used for detecting animal drinking behavior, and the clamping part further comprises a water supply pipe, and the water supply pipe passes through the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring.

9. The small animal motion simulation device of claim 1, wherein, The clamping part comprises a neural activity detection element, the neural activity detection device is used for converting the neural activity of the animal into an electrical signal and sending the electrical signal to an analysis device through a transmission line, and the transmission line passes through the first connecting ring and the second connecting ring.

10. The small animal motion simulation device of claim 7, wherein, The behavior detection device comprises an adjusting part, the adjusting part is used for adjusting the position of the animal behavior detection element in a first direction and a second direction, wherein the first direction is parallel to the first axis, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first axis and parallel to the preset plane.

11. The small animal motion simulation device of claim 1, wherein, A gyroscope is fixed in the float ball, and the gyroscope is used for sending rotation information of the float ball to a motion analysis device.

12. The small animal motion simulation device of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising a cylindrical screen, wherein the axial direction of the cylindrical screen is parallel to the first axis, and the cylindrical screen is used for at least surrounding the clamping position and displaying a virtual motion environment through the inner wall thereof.

13. The small animal motion simulation device of claim 12, wherein, Further comprising: A displacement mechanism is used for translating the cylindrical screen along the first axis.

14. The small animal motion simulation device of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising an air supply pipeline, wherein the air supply pipeline is used for supplying air to make the float ball float.

15. A control method for the small animal locomotion simulation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized by, Further comprising: An acquisition workflow, wherein the workflow comprises a plurality of operation instruction blocks and a connection relationship between the plurality of operation instruction blocks, each operation instruction block is used to instruct a preset operation object associated with the small animal motion simulation device and a preset operation, and the connection relationship is used to instruct a secondary operation instruction block of each operation instruction block, the secondary operation instruction block being a next operation instruction block to be executed after the execution of the operation instruction block. The plurality of operation instruction blocks are sequentially executed according to the connection relationship.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, Further comprising: The plurality of operation instruction blocks are respectively edited, wherein the step of acquiring the workflow comprises: The edited operation instruction blocks are acquired; The corresponding secondary operation instruction block is specified for each edited operation instruction block to obtain the connection relationship.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein, Further comprising: In response to a user operation, the secondary operation instruction block of a first operation instruction block in the operation instruction blocks indicated by the connection relationship is changed to a second operation instruction block to obtain an updated connection relationship; When the plurality of operation instruction blocks do not include the second operation instruction block, the updated connection relationship is further used to instruct the secondary operation instruction block of the second operation instruction block.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, In the plurality of operation instruction blocks, at least one operation instruction block has a plurality of secondary operation instruction blocks, and the connection relationship further indicates a correspondence relationship between a plurality of operation results of the operation instruction block and the plurality of secondary operation instruction blocks, the operation result being a result obtained by performing the preset operation on the preset operation object.

19. The control method according to claim 18, characterized by, When the at least one operation instruction block includes the first operation instruction block, the step of changing the secondary operation instruction block of a first operation instruction block in the operation instruction blocks indicated by the connection relationship to a second operation instruction block comprises: At least one secondary operation instruction block of the first operation instruction block is changed to the second operation instruction block.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein, Further comprising: At least the first operation instruction block and the second operation instruction block are displayed in a graphical visualization interface; The step of changing the secondary operation instruction block of a first operation instruction block in the operation instruction blocks indicated by the connection relationship to a second operation instruction block comprises: The displayed second operation instruction block is set as the secondary operation instruction block of the first operation instruction block by performing an association operation in the graphical visualization interface.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein, Further comprising: The plurality of operation instruction blocks are displayed in a graphical visualization interface; The step of specifying the corresponding secondary operation instruction block for each edited operation instruction block comprises: The corresponding secondary operation instruction block is specified for each edited operation instruction block by performing an association operation in the graphical visualization interface.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein, The plurality of operation instruction blocks comprise: A beacon generation instruction block used to generate a beacon at a first coordinate in a virtual environment; A position detection instruction block used to determine a position of the small animal in the virtual environment in real time based on the rotation of the floating ball, and determine whether the position is located within a preset range around the first coordinate; The motion detection instruction block is a secondary operation instruction block of the beacon generation instruction block.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein, The plurality of operation instruction blocks further comprise: a timing start instruction block for starting a timer; a timing instruction block for determining whether a starting duration of the timer reaches a preset duration; a timing end instruction block for terminating the timer; wherein the timing instruction block is a secondary operation instruction block of the timing start instruction block, the beacon generation instruction block is a secondary operation instruction block corresponding to the timing instruction block when the starting duration does not reach the preset duration, the timing end instruction block is a secondary operation instruction block of the timing instruction block when the starting duration reaches the preset duration, and the timing end instruction block is also a secondary operation instruction block of the position detection instruction block.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, The beacon generation instruction block is specifically configured to: randomly determine the first coordinate; and display the beacon in the virtual environment according to the first coordinate.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein, The plurality of operation instruction blocks further comprise: a device service start instruction block for starting a motion detection device; and a device service end instruction block for stopping the motion detection device; wherein the motion detection device comprises one or more of the floating ball system, a camera, a microscope, and a neuropixel probe.

26. A small animal motion simulation system characterized by, The system comprises: a small animal motion simulation device according to any one of claims 1 to 14; a motion data analysis device for acquiring small animal motion data from the small animal motion simulation device and analyzing the motion data of the small animal; and a controller for controlling the small animal motion simulation device to present a virtual motion environment and collect the small animal motion data. ​

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