Low-Friction Running Wheel for Mice

Inspired on the Kinewheel from Deeplabcut team with multiple major improvements. Designed for precise and unrestricted assessment of voluntary running activity, the Labeotech Low-Friction Running Wheel provides exceptionally low rotational resistance while offering flexible options for motion measurement, motorized control, and experimental integration.

The wheel requires less than 1 gram-force applied tangentially at the rim to initiate rotation, minimizing resistance and allowing mice to start and maintain running naturally.

Key Features

• Ultra-low friction: Requires less than 1 gf at the rim to initiate rotation.
• Encoder: Provides accurate measurement of wheel rotation, distance, speed, and running activity.
• 0–3.3 V analog speed output: Continuous analog signal proportional to wheel speed for easy integration with DAQ systems and external data-acquisition hardware.
• Motorized option: Add a motor module to actively drive the wheel for controlled-speed, assisted-running, or experimental protocols.
• Head fixation compatible: Head-fixation hardware is available for experiments requiring controlled positioning and simultaneous behavioral measurements.
• Metric 1515 breadboard: Integrated breadboard provides a flexible mounting platform for sensors, cameras, instrumentation, and experimental accessories.
• M6 tapped mounting points: M6 threaded mounting points simplify attachment of custom fixtures and laboratory equipment.
• Research-ready design: Built for integration into behavioral, neuroscience, biomechanics, and motor-function research setups.

Configurable for Your Experiment

The wheel can be configured as a passive low-friction running wheel or expanded with encoder feedback, analog speed output, motorized control, and head-fixation accessories to suit a wide range of experimental requirements.

Already Own a Labeotech Low-Friction Treadmill?

You may not need to purchase a complete running wheel system. If you already own a Labeotech Low-Friction Treadmill, you can purchase the running wheel separately and reuse your existing head-fixation system and motor add-on. This makes it easy to expand your setup while keeping your existing accessories and experimental configuration.

Add Behavioral Video Tracking

Pair the running wheel with the Labeotech Behavioral Camera for synchronized video-based behavioral analysis and pose estimation. The camera can be used with DeepLabCut or equivalent pose-estimation software to track body position, limb movement, and other behavioral parameters during running experiments.

This combination provides a flexible platform for collecting wheel activity and video-based behavioral data in the same experiment.