Maze Suite is a complete set of tools that enables researchers to perform spatial and navigational behavior experiments within interactive, easy to create, and extendable (e.g., multiple rooms) 3D virtual environments. Maze Suite can be used to design/edit adapted 3D environments, as well as track subjects’ behavioral performance.

Maze Suite consists of three main applications; an editing program to create and alter maze environments (MazeMaker), a visualization/rendering module (MazeWalker), and finally an analysis/mapping tool (MazeViewer). Each of these tools are run and used from a graphical user interface (GUI), thus making editing, execution and analysis user friendly.

MazeMaker is the editor application of MAZE Suite to create and edit plain 3D environments. The motivation behind MazeMaker is to develop a user-friendly application that enables users to create 3D Mazes effortlessly. MazeMaker can be used to create new mazes, add or edit objects (e.g., geometric shapes, pictures, landscapes, etc) to the environment.

MazeWalker is the presentation software and 3D engine that renders the maze.

MazeViewer is the analysis tool of Maze Suite. MazeViewer can open log files created by MazeWalker and enables researchers to analyze the behavior (e.g., subjects path, time to completion of the maze, number of errors) of the subject in the maze. Log files contain information about the path that a subject traveled as well as where the subject looked at each time. Additionally, maze suite has the capability of sending signal pulses to physiological recording devices using standard computer ports.

Maze Suite, with all 3 applications, is a complete toolset for researchers who want to easily and rapidly deploy interactive 3D environments.