Motion capture is a crucial tool in gathering biomechanics data to study movement. Studies of human movement can range from a full body analysis, such as in running, to a more precise analysis of finger motions. Specialized cameras capture movement of reflective markers and these data can then be displayed in a 3D computer environment for further analysis. Unfortunately, motion capture systems are very costly as they require multiple cameras to surround the study space and track the reflective markers. There is added costs in the required software to gather the data. The MSU Biomechanical Design Research Laboratory is looking at alternative, low cost possibilities to gather motion capture data. The most notable alternative is the Kinect; although originally designed for video games, it’s motion capture capabilities for academic studies are encouraging.
The Kinect uses an RGB camera, depth sensors, infrared projector, and monochrome CMOS sensor to create its “seen” environment. By utilizing the RGB camera paired with the two depth sensors, it is able to pinpoint which color corresponds to which range of depth, and thus utilize this information to create the 3D environment. The infrared projector casts IR dots over its surroundings to determine this depth . This technology is quite affordable, and thus our lab is testing its abilities to determine how comparable it is to current motion capture technology. Below is a fun video demonstrating the Kinect’s ability in monitoring its surroundings; enjoy!