Think it’s hard to pass your driving test? Watch scientists teach team of RATS to drive with ‘surprising precision’

A TEAM of researchers have taught rats how to drive - and now the rodents seem to relish getting behind the wheel.

Scientists in Virginia, US, first succeeded in training rats to drive small cars made out of plastic cereal containers in 2019.

The mini motors, which were powered by grasping a small wire acting like an acceleration pedal, were designed to dispense the rats with Froot Loops cereal for successfully getting the device to work.

Kelly Lambert, a professor of behavioural neuroscience at University of Richmond, said: “Before long, they were steering with surprising precision to reach a Froot Loop treat.”

As the experiment evolved, so too did the cars, with Professor Lambert describing their new vehicles as “akin to a rodent version of Tesla’s Cybertruck”.

Equipped with rat-proof wiring, “indestructible tyres and ergonomic driving levers”, these new sets of wheels appear to be highly favoured by the rodents.

Writing for , Professor Lambert said: “Unexpectedly, we found that the rats had an intense motivation for their driving training, often jumping into the car and revving the ‘lever engine’ before their vehicle hit the road.”

She added: “The rats also taught me something profound one morning during the pandemic.

“When I walked into the lab, I noticed something unusual: The three driving-trained rats eagerly ran to the side of the cage, jumping up like my dog does when asked if he wants to take a walk.

“Had the rats always done this and I just hadn’t noticed? Were they just eager for a Froot Loop, or anticipating the drive itself?

“Whatever the case, they appeared to be feeling something positive – perhaps excitement and anticipation.”

This led to the scientists exploring the more positive events that affect the brain when anticipating something enjoyable.

In a programme called Wait For It, rats were made to wait for rewards - which improved their cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills.

To this end, rats forced to wait for rewards showed signs of optimism and performed better than those who got instant rewards.

"One day, a student noticed something strange: one of the rats in the group trained to expect positive experiences had its tail straight up with a crook at the end, resembling the handle of an old-fashioned umbrella," said Prof Lambert.

This "Straub tail" is said to be linked to the "feel-good" hormone dopamine.

In another test, rats could choose to drive to the Froot Loop or walk.

"Surprisingly, two of the three rats chose to take the less efficient path of turning away from the reward and running to the car to drive to their Froot Loop destination," Prof Lambert wrote.

"This response suggests that the rats enjoy both the journey and the rewarding destination."

This comes as another group of scientists are on their way to creating the world’s most perfect car - with help from artificial intelligence.

By looking through the data of 8,000 3D car designs and their aerodynamics, the tech experts are many steps closer to designing a more efficient and eco-friendly motor.