The Observer XT

Set up your system

Good and thorough preparations will provide you with better data and will save you time in the end. Together with our knowledgeable scientific sales consultants, you can design the research setup you need: select your hardware, get to know the software, and design an ethogram (coding scheme).

Your platform for research

With The Observer XT at the core of your lab, it is possible to automate the recording of various types of data along with live behavioral coding or to code off-line later. Decide on the following: modules you need, hardware or other software, and license structure.

The Observer XT is the ideal tool for many researchers because it saves you time scoring behaviors and it allows you to synchronize and analyze multiple signals (video, audio, physiology, etc) all together.

  • Code behavior in a quantitative way and visualize them on a timeline

  • Easily integrate video and physiological data

  • Calculate statistics and assess reliability

 


Ethogram / coding scheme

Designing an ethogram is a crucial step in behavioral research. The ethogram is the actual measuring instrument. Choices made at this stage determine what you can do with your data at later stages.

Screenshot The Observer XT coding scheme rats
 


Modules

The Base version of The Observer XT allows for study setup, coding scheme design, live coding, offline editing, general analysis, reliability & lag sequential analysis, and presentation of behavioral data. Depending on your research needs, you can extend this basic system with two modules:

Media Module - For playback of video files and/or audio files on one timeline.

External Data Module – Combine external data (collected with data acquisition systems) on one timeline in The Observer XT. Then analyze external data and behavioral data all together.

 


Customer quote

"The Observer XT helps us to assess our animal's welfare."

Dr. G. Kranendonk|Stichting AAP, Rescue Centre for Exotic Animals / Animal Advocacy and Protection, The Netherlands

 


Hardware and other software

You can benefit from our experience with different hardware set-ups ranging from video recording to interfacing with data acquisition systems, or synchronized starting of other programs or systems.

The Observer XT has been developed to enable advanced analysis of multimodal data in relation to observational data. This unique feature makes The Observer XT the most complete tool for behavioral research.

Screenshot The Observer XT beetles visualization
 


License structure

The Observer XT uses software based licensing to offer you maximum flexibility. To activate the software license key you need an internet connection. Upon activating you can choose between:

  • Fixed license - Use the software on a single designated computer. The license is connected to your computer and can be used without an internet connection.
  • Floating license - Install the software on any computer and use it where and when you want. For example, on the computer in your lab at work and the next day on your laptop at home. For the use of the software, the computers need to be connected to the internet.