Creating and controlling visual environments using BonVision
- NeuroGears, United Kingdom
- University College London, United Kingdom
Abstract
Real-time rendering of closed-loop visual environments is important for next-generation understanding of brain function and behaviour, but is often prohibitively difficult for non-experts to implement and is limited to few laboratories worldwide. We developed BonVision as an easy-to-use open-source software for the display of virtual or augmented reality, as well as standard visual stimuli. BonVision has been tested on humans and mice, and is capable of supporting new experimental designs in other animal models of vision. As the architecture is based on the open-source Bonsai graphical programming language, BonVision benefits from native integration with experimental hardware. BonVision therefore enables easy implementation of closed-loop experiments, including real-time interaction with deep neural networks, and communication with behavioural and physiological measurement and manipulation devices.
Data availability
BonVision is an open-source software package available to use under the MIT license. It can be downloaded through the Bonsai (bonsai-rx.org) package manager, and the source code is available at: github.com/bonvision/BonVision. All benchmark programs and data are available at https://github.com/bonvision/benchmarks. Installation instructions, demos and learning tools are available at: bonvision.github.io/.
Article and author information
Author details
Funding
Wellcome Trust (200501)
- Aman B Saleem
Human Frontiers in Science Program (RGY0076/2018)
- Aman B Saleem
Stavros Niarchos Foundation / Research to Prevent Blindness
- Samuel G Solomon
Medical Research Council (R023808)
- Samuel G Solomon
- Aman B Saleem
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (R004765)
- Samuel G Solomon
- Aman B Saleem
Wellcome Trust: OPen Research (200501/Z/16/A)
- Aman B Saleem
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Reviewing Editor
- Chris I Baker, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, United States
Ethics
Animal experimentation: All experiments were performed in accordance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (United Kingdom) and Home Office (United Kingdom) approved project and personal licenses. The experiments were approved by the University College London Animal Welfare Ethical Review Board under Project License 70/8637.
Human subjects: All procedures were approved by the Experimental Psychology Ethics Committee at University College London (Ethics Application EP/2019/002). We obtained informed consent, and consent to publish from all participants.
Version history
- Received: December 7, 2020
- Accepted: April 20, 2021
- Accepted Manuscript published: April 21, 2021 (version 1)
- Version of Record published: May 7, 2021 (version 2)
- Version of Record updated: May 19, 2021 (version 3)
Copyright
© 2021, Lopes et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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Creating and controlling visual environments using BonVision
eLife 10:e65541.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.65541
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