A motor assisted swivel is disclosed which aids in proper rotation of a swivel
in a tether system for animal testing. The swivel may have any number of fluid
conduits or electrical or optical leads. A switching mechanism determines a direction
of rotation of the tether and activates a motor to rotate the swivel in the direction
of rotation. When rotation of the tether stops, further rotation of the swivel
causes the switching mechanism to deactivate the motor. The switching mechanism
may include a hinged connector with magnets on each side and reed switches to sense
movement of the connector about its hinge.
