A 3D Motion Capture Platform for Motor Systems Neuroscience

Neuroscience studies of unconstrained, large animal behavior can reveal rich neural activity associated with movement. To date, no motion capture platform sufficiently sized to record natural movement and controlled using a single computer has been reported. Addressing this need, we constructed a 2.1 x 2.1 x 2.4 m enclosure outfitted with a low-cost, end-to-end recording system capable of collecting hours of hardware-synchronized, multi-camera depth and RGB data, acquired at rates >250 MBps using a single Linux desktop. With this platform--which is readily implemented and capable of capturing a wide range of natural behaviors--kinematics can be extracted and combined with simultaneously acquired, wireless, intracranial neural recordings, providing novel insights into the functioning of the mammalian motor system.