Rats Master DOOM in Groundbreaking Brain Study
▼ Summary
– Researchers are developing a system to enable rats to play the classic 1993 video game DOOM, expanding on the meme of running the game on unconventional platforms.
– This project is an improved second version that allows rats to navigate levels, view a panoramic screen, and shoot enemies within the game.
– The rats receive sugar water as a reward through a dispenser when they perform successful in-game actions like moving and shooting.
– While promising, the rats have not progressed far in the game due to time constraints, but they have successfully demonstrated basic gameplay mechanics.
– The project highlights DOOM’s long-standing role as a benchmark for pushing technological boundaries, even into unconventional areas like animal-computer interaction.
The iconic video game DOOM has famously been ported to run on everything from printers to pregnancy tests, but a new frontier has been opened by researchers enabling rats to play the classic shooter. This groundbreaking work explores the intersection of neuroscience, virtual reality, and behavioral conditioning, pushing the boundaries of how we understand learning and interaction in non-human subjects. The project represents a significant evolution from earlier attempts, moving beyond simple navigation to incorporate combat and environmental immersion.
For several years, scientist Viktor Tóth and his team have pursued the goal of letting rodents engage with the game. An initial version successfully allowed rats to move through DOOM’s virtual corridors. The latest iteration, however, is far more sophisticated. The upgraded system immerses the rats in a panoramic virtual environment and enables them to perform two key actions: traversing the game’s levels and actively shooting enemy demons.
The training protocol is built on a foundation of positive reinforcement. When a rat successfully performs a desired behavior, such as eliminating a virtual foe or navigating to a specific point, it receives a reward. This comes in the form of a sweet sugar water solution, delivered automatically through a solenoid-powered dispenser. This method encourages the animals to learn the cause-and-effect relationship between their actions in the virtual space and a tangible, pleasurable outcome.
Progress through the game’s infamous hellscapes has been measured. Due to the time-intensive nature of the training process, the rats have not yet completed entire episodes. Their achievements, however, are remarkable. They have demonstrably learned to move through complex spaces and engage targets, showcasing an ability to interact with a dynamic digital world. The research provides a unique window into rodent cognition and adaptability.
The enduring legacy of DOOM often highlights its role as a benchmark for technological possibility. This project certainly continues that tradition, albeit in an unexpected direction. It underscores how creative applications can transform a cultural touchstone into a tool for scientific inquiry. While the rats are busy mastering their combat skills, the game’s versatility continues to astonish, having even been implemented within electronic design software. This work reminds us that the limits of interaction between biological minds and digital systems are constantly being redefined.
(Source: Hack A Day)
