A group of enthusiasts from the United States has conducted a unique experiment by teaching laboratory rats to play DOOM. They developed a complete VR setup tailored to the physiology of rodents for this purpose.

The project began several years ago, initiated by engineer Viktor Toth. Initially, the animals were trained to navigate through the corridors of the game level. In a newly updated version, created with the help of engineers Sandor Makray and Akos Blaschek, the system has been refined to perfection.

Control is achieved through a combination of a PC and a Raspberry Pi microcomputer, with the software utilizing a modified version of the ViZDoom engine. The creators report that the rats successfully learned navigation and shooting mechanics, with the adaptation to the virtual environment taking about two weeks.

All blueprints, 3D models, and the source code of the project are available to the public so that anyone interested can replicate the experiment.