Interactive experiments in a robotics-based platform to simulate zebrafish response to a predator

Abstract

Biomimetic robotics is emerging as a promising research tool in the study of animal behavior, providing highlycontrollable and customizable stimuli in laboratory experiments and field trials. Here, we introduce a novel robotics-based approach to study predator-prey interactions in fish. Our animal model, zebrafish, is gaining traction as a species of choice for investigations of fear and anxiety in preclinical research. The platform integrates three-dimensional real-time tracking, four-degree-of-freedom robotic manipulation, and data-driven Markov chains to allow for unprecedented, interactive experiments on zebrafish.