Exercise & Locomotion Studies
Impose controlled exercise regimes or analyze spontaneous locomotion. Automated systems for climbing assays, activity monitoring, and exercise endurance experiments.
How It Works
The flyGym is an automated exercise device that imposes controlled physical activity on groups of Drosophila. It uses a motorized mechanism to repeatedly induce negative geotaxis (climbing) responses, forcing flies to exercise at defined intervals and intensities.
For free-movement studies, video tracking systems capture the position and trajectory of individual flies in real time. Automated analysis extracts walking speed, total distance, rest periods, and spatial preferences from recorded video.
Both systems integrate with Bonsai for programmable experimental protocols and real-time data visualization. Combine exercise and feeding assays on the same cohort of animals to study the relationship between activity and metabolism.
What You Can Measure
Quantify locomotor behavior and exercise performance in Drosophila.
Climbing Performance
Distance climbed per bout, climbing speed, and negative geotaxis response.
Exercise Endurance
Time to fatigue under controlled exercise regimes.
Walking Speed
Average and instantaneous locomotion velocity from video tracking.
Total Activity
Distance traveled and proportion of time spent moving vs. resting.
Spatial Preference
Occupancy maps showing where flies prefer to spend time in arenas.
Circadian Activity
Activity patterns over 24-hour cycles to study circadian locomotor rhythms.
Ready to study exercise and locomotion?
Get a quote for the flyGym, video tracking, or a combined setup for your locomotion research.