Next steps in automated handler-free behavioural recordings: spatially discretized behavioural cycles

Open source electronics, code and mechanical devices have enabled a proliferation of automated behavioural recordings which greatly assist neuroscience research. This is particularly important for studying prey species like the mouse, as handler-free measurement of exploitation behaviours will likely capture a different behavioural regime than traditional assays due to the lack of threatening stimuli. Following up on recent discussions of ethological neuroscience, three principles of automated maze development are outlined here, which have helped us to spatially discretize behavioural cycles in a naturalistic way.