Automation
- All mazes within the Maze Engineers Portfolio can be customized for automation for your needs. Since each project we undertake is a partnership for ensuring the maze suits your needs, please contact us so a representiative can speak with you regarding both our capabilities and your needs.
- All automation uses infrared detection as the standard practice for mouse detection
Food Wells
- Food wells are commonly used to hold discrete units of food37. Our wells are standard 1cm deep located 1cm from the end plate, often used in the T maze, Elevated plus maze, 8 arm radial maze, and more. Various depth modifications are available.
- In elevated mazes, feeders are removable and located underneath the arm. This includes the elevated plus maze, elevated zero maze
- All feeders come with fit to size caps to cover feeders. Colors and construction made to fit maze.
- In non elevated mazes such as the T maze and Zero maze, the food wells are made with 1cm non removable drills and come with a removable cover to create a smooth flooring when not in use.
Guillotine Doors
- Our standard guillotine doors are available in both manual and automated combinations. Manual doors are guillotine style doors with handles to conveniently help you lift and remove the doors. Automated guillotine doors use quiet engines to lift the doors. It connects to our automated computer system for highly modular control of all aspects of the experiments, so that you can run it automatically and collect data 24/7.
- Note: We highly recommend use of doors with rewarded alternation, especially in the T maze.
- Note: we highly recommend the 8 arm radial maze with automated doors.
- For electrophysiology experiments, we highly recommend the use of air cylinders in conjunction with guillotine doors.
Cues and Textures
- Texture the floors of the maze for traction during ambulation , electric shocks for place preference, and other modifications.
- Internal maze cues can be added including stripes, spots, and other patterns.
Treadmills
- Treadmills allow for mouse physiological measurements. Incline, decline up to 60 degrees. Belt speed 0m/s to 0.7m/s. size and length customizable. Please contact for more information.
Air Cylinders
- Automation with air cylinders to minimize electrophysiology disturbances are available. This allows for controlled guillotine door movement, feeder dispensing and treadmill automation. Please inquire about this modification.
Water Maze
- Land based mazes are highly validated, although the paradigm has disadvantages including the need for pretraining, food deprivation, and scent cue confounders.
- Almost any maze can be modified to hold water warmed to room temperature (22-26 °C), allowing platforms to be hidden below the water surface.
- Hidden platforms are the same color as the maze to blend with the maze background.