BeeHive Is an Electronics Platform for Easier and Affordable Laboratory Equipment
This system makes it easier for users to develop, access, modify, and understand technical equipment in the laboratory.
Andre Maia Chagas recently developed BeeHive, a modular electronics platform that makes it easier and inexpensive to build, access, modify, and understand laboratory equipment. Essentially, this allows anyone to pick up build equipment and various modules, which relies on re-usable electronics modules and code.
Overall, the system is compatible with the Grove system for various actuators and sensors. Plus, it contains a central module with an ESP32 running MicroPython. One application for BeeHive involves controlling a behavioral box for mice, a task called “5 choice serial reaction time task”. It contains five 3D-printed ports for mice to place their heads inside. Each one features an IR beam, which detects when the mouse enters its head. A white LED is integrated at the back of each port to guide the mice into a specified port.
Once it enters the correct port, a 3D-printed pellet dispenser provides food to the animal. Such a configuration enables scientists to observe the mice’s reaction time in different ages and conditions. For example, the mice can be observed during the daytime and nighttime and while they’re healthy or with a cognitive decline. Afterward, each session’s data transmits to a PC via serial or WiFi for posterior data analysis
The system is currently running the first steps to perform this task. It uses MakerBeans for the box, while the walls are made of plexiglass. Follow along with the project's progress in Maia Chagas' build log.