‘Integrating Sensor Technology with Brain and Cognition Research’

Delta Phenomics is one of the 8 partners in a consortium that aims to develop a novel system for the automated assessment of wellbeing of rodents in a home cage environment. The SenseWell proposal was one of the winners of the “IIP Cooperation Challenge”, a program launched by the Dutch national authority for ICT research (“ICTRegie”) to stimulate ICT-based innovation in domains ranging from brain and cognition research to sensor networks and robotics. Partners in this project are four leading academic groups and four innovative companies:

• Department of Biology, Utrecht University (Berry Spruijt)
• Department of Farm Animal Health, Utrecht University (Arjan Stegeman)
• Biometris, Wageningen University & Research Centre (Gerie van der Heijden)
• Electronic Instrumentation Laboratory, Delft University of Technology (Paddy French)
• Delta Phenomics BV
• Noldus Information Technology BV
• TeleMetronics Biomedical BV
• Metris BV

The general aim of SenseWell is to develop an automated system for the early detection of symptoms of disease and chronic stress in order to assess health and wellbeing in socially housed rodents. This rodent model will serve as basis for a system in animal husbandry practice in which it can support the management of large numbers of animals as is the case in for example pig stables. The system will take into account both signs of positive affiliative behaviors -social contact, play and calls indicative of pleasure- and signs of avoidance behaviors such as anxiety calls, withdrawal behavior and isolation from the group. Recent advances in sensor technology, image processing, data fusion (multimodal analysis) and pattern recognition will be implemented in the automated system. This project will yield a platform technology suitable for applications at a large scale.

At Delta Phenomics we are using this 3-year project as an opportunity to develop and validate new test paradigms for the assessment of spontaneous  and provoked behavioral changes associated with reduced health and welfare. Furthermore, we are testing new ultrasonic sensors and biotelemetry devices integrated with the behavioral measurements. Therefore, the current home cage environment (i.e. the PhenoTyper) is modified in such a way that it allows not only tracking of the behavior of multiple animals, but also integrates acoustical and physiological signals.