This repo is an attempt to recreate of research conducted at University of Richmond (UoR) (video link for reference). More specifically, it is an attempt to teach my rats how to drive.
As a rat owner, when I first saw the video UoR posted of their rats driving cars, I thought it was one of the coolest things ever. It was only when I read the paper did I realise the numerous benefits driving cars seem to have on rats:
- They enjoy driving cars - the rats who learnt to drive showed signs of anticipation (like excitement) before driving, suggesting driving was rewarding and not only food-motivated.
- Driving cars reduced stress - rats trained to drive cars had lower stress hormone levels compared to control groups.
This project is currently ongoing with new itterations of the ROV continuing to be updated.
Version one was built with close inspiration to the build created in the initial study however with some key differences. The initial ROV at UoR had an alluminium plate that the rats would step ontop of. The front of the cage contained copper wires, which when grabbed, would complete a circuit and drive the car forwards.
Since I am not an electrical engineer I decided to opt out of the running electrical current through my pet rat route, and instead decided to use levers that my rats could press to move the car. This had the added benefit the rov that could also turn as well with additional levers.
The car was built ontop of the ELEGOO Smart Robot Car Kit, however any similar kit can be used. Only a few components from the entire kit are required, such as the Arduini, motor controller and car motors. The car is powered by 2x 18650 batteries.
The main carriage was modelled using onshape and 3d printed. All STLs can be found in this repo.
V2 is currently a work in progress. It features:
- A custom chassis and wider wheelbase for smoother turns (necessary for rat comfort when driving).
- Specific access holes for levers and electronics, along with mounting pegs for the arduino.
- Optional roof holes for a spoiler (WIP lol).
