Neuroengineeer Viktor Tóth has found a way to train rats to play Doom. Yes, you read that right– rodents can now play video games with the right setup and methodology. Tóth made a custom VR setup for his test subjects and trained three rats to traverse a corridor rendered in the DOOM II engine. While he was able to train them to walk around the game and shoot monsters, he lacked the time to reinforce the behavior.
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The VR setup is composed of a polystyrene ball with motion sensors, a harness attached below it where the rat is placed, a PC monitor to show the game environment, and a little tube with sugary water as a treat when the rats do the ‘right thing’. Learn more about the experiment here.
Image credit:Viktor Tóth
Source: neatorama