Neuroengineeer Viktor Tóth has found a way to train rats to play Doom. Yes, you read that right-- rodents can now play video games with the right setup and methodology. Tóth made a custom VR setup for his test subjects and trained three rats to traverse a corridor rendered in the DOOM II engine. While he was able to train them to walk around the game and shoot monsters, he lacked the time to reinforce the behavior.
The VR setup is composed of a polystyrene ball with motion sensors, a harness attached below it where the rat is placed, a PC monitor to show the game environment, and a little tube with sugary water as a treat when the rats do the ‘right thing’. Learn more about the experiment here.
Image credit:Viktor Tóth