Active Commutator

When I first began working in the Gardner-Otchy lab, I was tasked with optimizing and standardizing the electrical components of their active commutators.

This device connects to the miniscopes via a flex cable and its primary function is to rotate in conjunction with the movement of the animal in order to prevent the cable from tangling and exerting torque on the heads of the animals. This is necessary when imaging zebra finches because of their tendency to hop and spin. The flex cable also acted as a counterweight to make the device more comfortable for the animals during their experiments.