Tracking and Analysis | Water Maze Pools | Atlantis Platforms | Regular Platforms | Help and Advice
The HVS Image regular platform is designed to sit invisibly just below the water surface, so that it can be found by its position being learned and remembered. It can also be used for visible platform trials with the water level a little lower than the platform top, and/or with a marker such as a plastic flag attached.
Usual features
- Clear acrylic to avoid being seen.
- Etched top to enable subjects to grip it easily.
- Wide base for stability and open bottom to allow it to fill with water.
- Air hole in top to allow bubbles to escape.
- 10 cm diameter top, to suit rats in a water maze pool sized for rats and mice in a pool sized for mice.
- 29.5 cm high, to sit just below the surface when the typical water depth of 30 cm is used.
Alternatives
We make platforms to order so they can if fact be any color and any size to suit your subjects, pool size and experimental requirements.
For example, if you are swimming mice in a rat sized pool, it is recommended that the platform has a larger diameter to prevent it being unusually difficult to find. Or if you have to use a non standard pool you may need the platform to be taller or shorter, to allow you to have a suitable height of poolside above the water surface.
Whatever your experimental requirements or other constraints, tell us what you need – if you know – or ask us for advice, and we can provide you with a suitable platform.
Positioning the platform in the pool
When using the HVS Image tracking and analysis system, you can use your preferred method for placing the platform in the pool.
You can either set the positions numerically using polar or cartesian coordinates in the HVS software, or use the software’s suggested positions (one in each quadrant), or set the platform positions in the pool itself, by placing the platform (or markers) in the pool and clicking them in the on screen video image to set the positions in the software.
When you are ready to run the selected position will be shown in the video image on screen, and you can move the platform into place using the video image as a guide to match it exactly.