This is where serious science takes place.
It’s time to know how serious Motor1.com is about covering everything automotive. This may be the most bizarre story you’ve ever read, or even heard all year. Scientists have taught rats how to drive a car. It’s an electric car that is about the same size as a rat and it’s kept in a small enclosed. But, it works. Rats can drive.
We know you want more on the crazy story. Here’s the scoop. Kelly Lambert, a University of Richmond behavioral neuroscience professor, leads a team that studies the behavior of rats. This very brief description of the scientific work that is being done in this area of research shows that the goal is not to simply thrill at the sight of rats controlling a motorized machine with some degree of intelligence. We’ll get to that later.
What is the actual process? A small, lightweight electric car that is not much larger than a rat was made from aluminum, a plastic container for food, and four wheels. The rat acts as an conduit for an electric circuit and contains three copper bars. The copper bars can be touched to activate the motor, which will make the car move forward. The rat can also steer by touching the copper bars on either the right, left, or center.
According to the report, 17 rats were taught how to drive and control a car in order to get food. It’s hard to tell which gender was better at driving, since we know what your thoughts are.
The million-dollar question is now answered. What is the point of teaching rats how to drive? We can learn more about neurological conditions that affect humans by studying how these things affect rats. Complex situations such as this can be more closely simulated to show how the brain responds, which could provide more data. The research could lead to better understanding of everything, from depression and Parkinson’s disease to mental disorders.
The tiny car isn’t like a Ford Mustang and no rats were hurt while they were driving or viewing it from a car display.