Welcome
TENSS 2019
This training course will introduce you to the basic concepts of data acquisition and behavioural control using the Bonsai visual programming language.
Course Schedule
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to data acquisition | Cameras, tracking, microcontrollers | Real-time closed-loop experiments | Operant behavior | Final projects |
Rapid-prototyping Systems Neuroscience with Bonsai
Session 1 - Introduction to data acquisition and behavioural control
- How to measure almost anything with a computer. From quantities to bytes.
- How to control almost anything with a computer. From bytes to effects.
- What is a programming language, and why should you care? Introduction to Bonsai.
- How to measure and control multiple things at the same time with one computer.
- The impact of measurement and control technologies in the study of behaviour: past, present, and future.
Session 2 - Cameras, tracking and microcontrollers
- Measuring behavior using video. From photons to pixels.
- Recording real-time video from multiple cameras.
- Real-time tracking of colored objects, moving objects and contrasting objects: the basic toolkit.
- Measuring behavior using voltages and an Arduino.
- A primer on data synchronization: on what frame did the light turn on?
Session 3 - Real-time closed-loop experimentation
- What can we learn from closed-loop experiments?
- Conditional effects. Triggering a stimulus based on video activity.
- Continuous feedback. Modulate stimulus intensity with speed or distance.
- Feedback stabilization. Record video centered around a moving object.
- Measuring closed-loop latency.
Session 4 - Operant behavior tasks
- Modeling trial sequences: state machines and events.
- Driving state transitions with external inputs.
- Choice, timeouts and conditional logic: the basic building blocks of reaction time, Go/No-Go and 2AFC tasks.
- Combining real-time and non real-time logic for good measure.
- Student project brainstorming
Session 5 - Final projects
- Custom behavior tracking
- Interactive visual stimulation
- Audio acquisition and stimulation
- Student project preparation and presentation