Virtual reality setup with force plates for pigeons

我们正在申请四件设备，它们一起构成了一个虚拟现实的遛鸽子竞技场。竞技场四周环绕着背投屏幕。它的地板是由跑步机皮带制成的，可以用固定的力平台代替一些计划中的实验。一个动作捕捉系统实时跟踪鸽子头部的位置和方向，并计算出眼睛的确切位置。然后，这些信息被用来驱动跑步机，以保持鸽子的位置，并控制一个图像生成系统，该系统在投影屏幕上创建显示，模拟鸽子从当前位置看到的东西，如果它看着一个具有良好定义几何形状的三维世界。然而，与现实世界的情况相反，这种设置允许我们解耦，然后重新定义鸟的运动和这种运动引起的视网膜图像运动之间的关系。

We are applying for four pieces of equipment which together form a virtual reality arena for walking pigeons. The arena is surrounded by back-projection screens. Its floor is made of a treadmill belt, which can be replaced with stationary force platforms for some of the planned experiments. A motion capture system tracks the position and orientation of the head of the pigeon in real-time and computes the exact location of the eyes. This information is then used to drive the treadmill in order to keep the pigeon in place, and also to control an image generating system which creates displays on the projection screens that mimic exactly what the pigeon would see from its current position if it was looking at a three-dimensional world with well a defined geometry. In contrast to conditions in the real world, however, the setup allows us to uncouple and then re-define the relation between the movement of the bird and the retinal image motion which this movement induces.