Zebrafish response to live predator and biologically-inspired robot in a circular arena

Abstract

Biologically-inspired robots are emerging as promising research tools in laboratory experiments to study animal behavior. Zebrafish are attaining an important role as model organisms for the study of emotional responses, including fear and anxiety. Here, we attempt at characterizing zebrafish response to fear-evoking stimuli using a live predator and a biologically-inspired 3D printed replica of the predator, actuated by an ad-hoc robotic platform. Fish motion tracking and information theoretic tools are integrated to quantify the interaction between zebrafish and the stimuli.