# Live Mouse Tracker: Workflow

Background information

▪Live Mouse Tracker (https://livemousetracker.org) is a system for prolonged monitoring of mice housed in small groups and in enriched environment.

▪Tracking and individual recognition is based on a Kinect depth camera and RFID antennas and readers.

▪You can track up to four subjects (tested).

▪For the assembling instructions: see https://livemousetracker.org.

▪EthoVision XT supports data of Live Mouse Tracker version 1.0.3 (October 4, 2022).

Prerequisites

▪You must have the Social Interaction add-on module in your EthoVision XT license. See Upgrade EthoVision XT

Procedure

1.Assemble the Live Mouse Tracker setup.

2.Connect all the hardware to the PC.

3.Collect the data with Live Mouse Tracker.

4.In EthoVision XT, create an experiment in Live Mouse Tracker mode.

Choose File > New Experiment. Select the check box Live Mouse Tracker experiment.

5. Import Live Mouse Tracker data. For this you need the Live Mouse Tracker databases and the video files (optional).

6.In the Analysis profile, choose the dependent variables. See Live Mouse Tracker

7.Visualize and analyze the data.

Notes

▪Live Mouse Tracker works with 3D coordinates (x, y, z). While analysis is mostly based on 2D (x,y) coordinates, some dependent variables are also based on the z-coordinates, for example Rear. See Dependent variables for Live Mouse Tracker

▪In the Live Mouse Tracker database, the x and y coordinates are in pixels, while z is in mm. However, EthoVision XT converts pixel coordinates to distance Units specified in the Experiment Settings.

▪In Live Mouse Tracker experiments you can also analyze data using the well-known analysis variables like Velocity and In zone. However, the following variables won’t be available in your Analysis profile, because they cannot be calculated with Live Mouse Tracker data:

▪Head direction and Head directed to zone.

▪Turn angle when it is based on head direction.

▪Activity and Activity state.

▪Body elongation and Body elongation state.

▪Mobility and Mobility state.

▪Body contact.

▪Behavior Recognition (all behaviors).