Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Unveils Cheese3D for AI-Based Tracking of Mouse Facial Expressions

Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have developed a new tool called Cheese3D, announced in a press release. The system combines camera technology and AI to track subtle changes in mouse facial expressions, offering a way to study the relationship between facial movement and brain activity.

Cheese3D uses six synchronized cameras to record high speed three dimensional motion from multiple angles, capturing details such as ear, eye, whisker pad, and jaw movements. The AI component then quantifies these expressions, allowing researchers to evaluate states like wakefulness or sleep.

The team, led by Assistant Professor Helen Hou, designed the platform to support studies of neurological and developmental processes. The researchers plan to apply Cheese3D to explore facial expressions during various disease states and developmental stages.