News 1993/1999

Automation of behavioral tests
8 February 1994

Wageningen - Noldus Information Technology has released a new version of EthoVision, its system for automatic recording of activity, movement and behavioral patterns of animals. Version 1.50 incorporates major advances in data acquisition and analysis. The system has been validated for various standard behavioral tests.
 
1. Data acquisition 
EthoVision now supports the use of color CCD cameras and frame grabbers, which permits tracking of up to eight animals in a single enclosure. Alternatively, up to eight arenas can be observed with a single camera. This greatly inreases productivity and allows automation of large batteries of routine tests.
 
2. Data analysis 

New software to record behavior – Live or from video tape
8 February 1994

Wageningen, 8 February 1994 – After introducing version 3.0 of The Observer, the popular data collection and analysis program for observational research (see Nature, 11 November 1993, page 185), Noldus Information Technology now announces the release of several new Support Packages for use in conjunction with the Base Package software.
 
Support Packages for handheld computers allow mobile data collection away from a desktop computer. One such package is centered around the Psion Organiser, a very compact, low-weight yet versatile handheld computer. This is followed by packages for the more robust Psion HC and Husky FS/2, which can withstand rough handling and harsh weather conditions, as well as the popular Hewlett-Packard 95LX, Psion Series 3 and Atari Portfolio, all of which are suitable for indoor use. Support Packages come with event-recording software as well as file upload and download programs. The licensing conditions are favorable to institutional use as a single Support Package supports multiple hand-held units.
 

Noldus Information Technology releases The Observer 3.0
1 November 1993

Wageningen – Noldus Information Technology today announced the release of version 3.0 of The Observer, the popular data collection and analysis software package for observational research. The release adds significant new functionality and succeeds version 2.0 which was introduced in 1990. While The Observer has already become a standard tool for behavioral research on pharmacology, psychology, zoology and entomology, version 3.0 will find new applications in fields as divers as ergonomics, machine downtime recording, sports research, market research, software and hardware usability testing, labor and times studies, traffic analysis, analysis of group interactions, etc.
 
1. Event recording – The Observer now supports all commonly used sampling and recording methods, and coding systems an now have practically unlimited numbers of elements. During an event-recording session, key presses are used to log events, the duration of behavioral states, as well as the time at which these occur. Any data-entry errors can now be corrected on-line or after the session has been completed.