Instead of building a better mouse trap, Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have built a better mouse cage. They’ve created a system called EnerCage (Energized Cage) for scientific experiments on awake, freely behaving small animals. It wirelessly powers electronic devices and sensors traditionally used during rodent research experiments, but without the use of interconnect wires or bulky batteries. Their goal is to create as natural an environment within the cage as possible for mice and rats in order for scientists to obtain consistent and reliable results. The EnerCage system also uses Microsoft’s Kinect video game technology to track the animals and recognize their activities, automating a process that typically requires researchers to stand and directly observe the rodents or watch countless hours of recorded footage to determine how they react to experiments. 

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.news.gatech.edu/2016/09/28/wireless-freely-behaving-rodent-cage-helps-scientists-collect-more-reliable-data