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We made our first rodent car from a plastic cereal container. Through trial and error, my colleagues and I discovered that rats can learn to move forward by squeezing a small wire that acts like a gas pedal. Eventually, they maneuvered with amazing precision and reached the Flute Loop treat.
As expected, rats raised in enriched environments with toys, space, and companions learned to drive faster than rats kept in standard cages. This finding supported the following ideas. Complex environments increase neuroplasticity: The brain’s ability to change throughout life in response to environmental demands.
The story of kicking out a rat after publishing our research spread rapidly in the media. The project continues in my lab with the development of a new and improved rat-operated vehicle (ROV) designed by a robotics professor. John McManus And his students. These upgraded electric ROVs feature rodent-proof wiring, unbreakable tires, and ergonomic driving levers, resembling rodent versions of Tesla’s Cybertruck.
as a neuroscientist who will defend I thought it would be interesting to see how much this project of raising and experimenting on laboratory animals in their natural habitat deviates from my laboratory practice. Rats usually prefer dirt, sticks, and stones to plastic objects. Well, we let them drive the car.
However, humans did not evolve to drive cars either. Our ancient ancestors did not have cars, they had flexible minds This allowed them to acquire new skills such as fire, language, stone tools, and agriculture. Shortly after the invention of the wheel, humans created cars.
Although cars built for rats are a far cry from what rats would encounter in the wild, we think driving is an interesting way to study how rodents acquire new skills. I did. Unexpectedly, rats were found to have a strong motivation for driving training, often jumping into cars and revving the “lever engine” before the car hit the road. Why?
Some rats who are training to drive a car will press a lever before the car is placed on the course. It’s as if they are looking forward to the vehicle ahead.
A new destination for joy
A concept from an introductory psychology textbook takes on a new practical dimension in the rodent driving laboratory. Build on foundational learning approaches such as operant conditioningWe trained rats in a step-by-step driver education program to reinforce targeted behaviors through strategic incentives.
At first, we learned basic movements such as getting into a car and pushing levers. However, with practice, these simple actions evolved into more complex actions, such as steering a car toward a specific destination.
