Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
5-31-1985
Degree Name
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering - (M.S.)
Department
Electrical Engineering
First Advisor
Stanley S. Reisman
Second Advisor
Joseph Frank
Third Advisor
W. H. Warren Ball
Abstract
The task of this instrumentation system is to measure the activity of rats in a controlled experiment. The system is designed to work in conjunction with the system for studies of metabolic rates in rats. The interface circuits take the picture from a video (vidicon) camera into the computer. Once the picture frame is taken into the high resolution graphics screen memory area, the computer uses this data to detect the activity. The movements of the rat are detected by comparing the number of pixels changed between two consecutive picture frames. The area covered by the rat determines the standing or lying-down position of the rat.
Thus with the help of the computer it is possible to monitor the activity of rats. The computer takes less then two seconds of time to process one picture frame. The interface circuit is designed to work with twelve different channels. The computer prints out the results and stores them on the disk for future reference. The present system is built to work with a single channel but is expandable to twelve. The software is easy to modify and is user friendly. The main program is written in Basic language and where timings are critical Assembly language is used.
Recommended Citation
Parekh, Yogesh, "Microcomputer controlled continuous activity monitor for small caged animals" (1985). Theses. 3463.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/theses/3463
