News 2005
Noldus will add CatWalk to its portfolio: a system for automated gait analysis in rodents
12 November 2005
Washington - Noldus Information Technology today announced the addition of a new product to its portfolio: CatWalk. Catwalk is a system for automated gait analysis in rodents. With a rich feature set for data acquisition and gait analysis, CatWalk provides an objective instrument for the assessment of locomotion. Applications are found in a wide range of research areas, including neurotrauma, neurodegeneration, muscular diseases and pain. The actual release of CatWalk is scheduled for next year but you are free to contact the product manager for CatWalk for any question you might have.
Noldus on World Usability Day - 3 November 2005
4 November 2005
Wageningen - “Why doesn’t this work better? Why can’t this be easier?” World Usability Day is for all the people who’ve ever asked questions like these. For the first time in history, people around the world were focused on the answer – usability.
On November 3, 2005 a worldwide series of events, organized by The Usability Professionals’ Association, promoted awareness of the benefits of usability engineering and user-centered design. Events took place in more than 70 cities in 35 countries.
For more information visit the World Usability Day website.
Noldus and Psion sponsor Ark Foundation
1 November 2005
Wageningen - Noldus and the Dutch nature conservation organization Ark Foundation signed a sponsorship agreement. Noldus sponsors the research of Ark in nature reserves by providing software and a computer for student volunteers who observe grazers in the Rhine floodplains. They work with The Observer and Pocket Observer, which runs on a Workabout provided by co-sponsor Psion.
Ark is an innovative organization that helped coin the unique Dutch concept of ‘nature development’. Marginal farmland along the great rivers is given back to nature, even in densely populated areas. But not after first removing clay layers, which increases the water carrying capacity of the rivers, and benefits the brick industry. The result is a chain of varied wetlands that are home to many species of plants, birds and animals.
Noldus Information Technology releases The Observer XT
5 September 2005
Wageningen - Noldus Information Technology today officially released The Observer XT, the complete new version of its system for collection and analysis of observational data. The new software contains many features that customers have been asking for. Highlights include the integration of video streams and event logs with physiological and other numerical data, the use of rating scales and hierarchical coding schemes, and building up coding schemes while going along. The software was officially launched at Measuring Behavior 2005, where it triggered very enthusiastic reactions.
R&D manager Herman Roosken states ‘We never released a product of such flexibility and technical complexity before’. The new software proves that technical complexity can go hand in hand with ease of use. The user is completely free to move from one part of the program to another, there is seamless integration of data and video, and all data can be displayed in one synchronized view. New projects are started with just a few clicks, and within 10 seconds you can be recording your first observation.
Noldus officially opens new building of its international headquarters in Wageningen
30 August 2005
Wageningen - Noldus Information Technology today officially opened the new building of its International Headquarters in Wageningen, The Netherlands. The new building is located at the Wageningen Science Park and offers modern facilities for both Noldus customers as well as for Noldus employees.
Among the modern facilities are a state of the art Experience Lab, a multi-purpose meeting/training room equipped with a Wifi network and high resolution beamer, a general purpose meeting room for large audiences and a demo room for product demonstrations.
The Experience Lab is equipped with high tech equipment for a wide range of studies in usability testing, HCI research and psychology. It is ideal for observations in an office, meeting room or living room setting. The lab has several rooms that can be set-up to evaluate a large variety of applications and devices.
The new building is expected to significantly contribute to Noldus’ striving for further improving on satisfying customer needs.
Book published on T-pattern analysis
25 April 2005
Wageningen - In April 2005 ‘The Hidden Structure of Interaction - From Neurons to Culture Patterns’ was published. The 300-page book contains contributions of 38 scientists, who all used Theme in their research. It gives a broad overview of the work with Theme published so far.
‘Future potential applications of T-patterns are really only limited by the imagination of talented individuals.’
Preface, by Prof. Marcello Fontanesi, Rector Magnificus University of Milan-Bicocca Milan, Italy
‘The current book intends to show some of the possible applications of Theme, starting from hidden patterns in a population of neurons to cultural patterns passing through the detection of hidden patterns in non verbal communication.’
L. Anolli, S. Duncan JR., M.S. Magnusson, G. Riva, editors
Noldus announces the neXT generation of observation software: The Observer XT
22 April 2005
Wageningen - The Observer product family will soon have a new member:
The Observer XT. The Observer XT is a new tool for behavioral observation and analysis. The product opens up new roads, such as the integration of physiology, gradually building coding schemes, multiple videos, hierarchical coding, comment-only logging, importing events from other systems. There is an integrated visualization of behavior, videos and physiology, even from multiple observations at once.
In the development of the software the user’s voice has been our guiding principle. During the years of preparation and development our people visited dozens of labs and talked to hundreds of researchers from many disciplines. Users and non-users commented on prototypes, and field tests were carried out by expert and novice users.
New update of EthoVision
19 April 2005
Wageningen - Noldus Information Technology announces the release of EthoVision 3.1, an update of its video tracking system.
Until recently EthoVision Pro and Color-Pro could detect animals in a maximum of 16 arenas. In response to demands from our users we have extended the functionality of EthoVision. One of the main enhancements in version 3.1 is that is allows you to track up to 100 arenas simultaneously while maintaining its full analysis capabilities. This extended functionality opens up possibilities increase the productivity of your research. Especially in research areas where tracking large numbers of individually housed small animals (e.g. zebrafish, drosophila) is concerned.
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