EthoVision XT

EthoVision XT is a video tracking software developed by Noldus for behavioral research across a range of species, including rodents, zebrafish, and insects. It is designed for use in academic, biomedical, genetic, and molecular research settings, providing automated animal detection, behavior recognition, and data integration within a single platform. The software has been cited in tens of thousands of publications covering topics such as cognition, learning and memory, emotional and social behavior, stress, anxiety, and fear.

The most recent release, EthoVision 19, introduces improvements to multi-subject tracking, four new social behavior parameters (following, leaving, approach, and social contact), a Noldus Calibration Card for camera focusing and arena calibration, and updated AI models that reduce post-recording data processing time from minutes to seconds.

Tracking Technology

• Uses deep learning neural networks to detect and track rodent body points, including nose, body center, and tail base.
• Recognizes both evenly colored and patterned rodents, such as Long-Evans rats.
• Supports precise tracking for tests including novel object recognition and social preference testing.
• Requires a GPU for deep learning-based tracking computations.
• Tracks multiple subjects in a single arena with minimal marking, using deep learning to prevent identity swaps during social housing studies.

Key Application Areas

• Supports simultaneous tracking in multiple arenas — four, eight, or sixteen open fields at once — as well as zebrafish larvae in 96-well plates.
• Allows individual or collective start and stop condition definitions per arena.
• Automatically recognizes a list of ten rat or mouse behaviors, reducing manual annotation and observer bias.
• Supports zebrafish behavior studies including social interaction, anxiety-like behavior, exploration, swimming patterns, and general activity in both adults and larvae.
• Can be used as a standalone solution for fish tracking or paired with the DanioVision observation chamber for high-throughput zebrafish larvae tracking.
• Serves as the tracking engine for Noldus hardware solutions including DanioVision and the PhenoTyper observation cages.

Equipment Control and Data Integration

• Controls external devices such as lights, pellet dispensers, and doors, and supports operant conditioning experiment design.
• Compatible with optogenetic stimulation control and electrophysiological recording equipment marker creation.
• Integrates external physiological data — including heart rate and body temperature — as well as vocalization data, enabling synchronized visualization and analysis alongside behavioral data.

Experiment Setup and Workflow

• Offers predefined experiment templates to reduce setup time.
• Supports setup from scratch via a guided question-based configuration that adjusts settings automatically.
• Automated animal detection reduces manual configuration steps at the start of experiments.
• The Noldus Calibration Card enables camera focusing and arena calibration with a single action.

Data Quality and Compliance

• Includes a Quality Assurance mode that protects data and generates log files for each project.
• Compliant with 21 CFR Part 11 regulations on electronic records and electronic signatures for studies conducted under Good Laboratory Practice (GLP).

EthoVision XT is available with a free trial and is supported by additional resources including a behavioral neuroscience e-book and a video tracking buyer's guide. The software is validated for use with rodents, fish, insects, and other animals, and is positioned as a central data integration and automation platform for laboratory behavioral research.