Abstract:Objective To provide a multifunctional animal behavior experimental system based on open-source sharing protocol, which can be used to observe, train, and test the behavior of conditioned fear and active avoidance. Methods The system was composed of a box, a camera, a stimulus circuit, and control software, which can be used to record and quantitatively analyze the behavior of various experimental animals under unattended conditions. Results After the system was set up separately in two universities, typical animal behavior experiments, including conditioned fear and active avoidance, were tested using Sprague-Dawley rats. The data were statistically analyzed, and result demonstrated that both conditioned fear behavior and active avoidance behavior could be stably analyzed. Conclusions An open-source multifunctional animal behavior experimental system was successfully developed. The overall design of the system is open,from hardware to software, and is therefore feasible and scalable. This system should be extensively promoted to lower the threshold of experimental access, as well as to benefit all animal laboratory staff.