{
  "id": 6629969,
  "title": "Wireless brain-recording device enables animal neuroscience experiments in natural habitats",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/wireless-brain-recording-device-enables-animal-neuroscience",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-10T19:40:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-wireless-brain-device-enables-animal.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Researchers have developed a tiny wireless device capable of tracking the brain activity of animals while they move freely in their natural habitats. This groundbreaking technology, called the Wireless, Interactive, Lightweight Datalogger (WILD), is small enough to fit under a U.S. dime and resembles a miniature chef's hat. The device, which includes flexible probes for tracking groups of neurons for extended periods, has been tested on mice navigating natural environments for over two weeks at a time.\n\nThe primary goal of this innovation is to enable scientists to study complex behaviors in animals as they interact within their natural environments, such as forming colonies, coordinating care for offspring, defending territories, or building nests. By providing insights into how animals respond to changes in their surroundings and social contexts, WILD opens new avenues for neuroscience research.\n\nCo-senior authors Azahara Oliva and Antonio Fernandez-Ruiz, both neurobiologists and behaviorists at Cornell University, highlight the device's ability to record neural activity and behavior simultaneously. They note that the WILD system allows researchers to manipulate brain mechanisms and detect specific patterns or behaviors, creating opportunities for closed-loop experiments that were previously impossible.\n\nThe WILD device can record for up to nine hours on a single charge, with longer recording times achievable through energy conservation programming. It has already been used in field experiments to uncover the neural activity of mice as they navigate enclosed spaces, offering the first-ever recordings of place cells—the brain cells responsible for creating mental maps of one's surroundings.\n\nThe researchers emphasize that traditional methods of studying animal behavior, such as using tethers or bulky wireless devices, often limit natural movement or are too costly to implement in natural settings. In contrast, WILD is highly durable, modular, and low-cost, making it suitable for use in various outdoor conditions.\n\nThe team, comprising neurobiologists, engineers, and computer scientists, has made all aspects of the WILD device open source, encouraging further development and collaboration within the scientific community. The researchers plan to use WILD to study various aspects of animal behavior, including group coordination, the effects of seasons on the brain, neurodivergence in social settings, and the long-term impact of psychedelics.\n\nThis collaborative effort, made possible by resources like Cornell University's Cornell NanoScale Facility and AI for Science Institute, demonstrates the power of interdisciplinary teamwork in driving innovation and expanding the frontiers of neuroscience research.",
  "summary": "A new wireless device—lighter than a U.S. dime and shaped like a tiny chef's hat—can track the brain waves of animals as they move in natural habitats, opening doors to understanding complex behaviors that are impossible to study in the lab.",
  "key_points": [
    "WILD device tracks brain activity of animals in natural habitats.",
    "Enables study of complex behaviors in animals' natural environments.",
    "Open-source design encourages collaboration and further development."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}