A LOW COST PACKAGE FOR THE ANALYSIS OF HUMAN BODY KINEMATICS

Abstract

The application of the analytical methods of Classical Mechanics has made possible the modelling and quantification of relatively simple motional situations. Only recently, however, with the development of computer integrated systems of kinematic data acquisition and processing, has this branch of Biomechanics acquired a lively momentum. The data for the study of the kinematics of human movement has essentially been obtained with techniques of goniometry, accelerometry and cine- and videophotogrammetry and then processed to provide information on the time histories of the co-ordinates of representative points on the surface of the body. This processing can be done automatically by data acquisition systems such as the Peak Performance, the Elite Motion Analyser, the MacReflex System Motion Analysis System and the Ariel Performance Analysis System (APAS), systems which are, however, far too expensive for the great majority of the researchers and field workers. We have developed a simple and portable PC computer software package which provides facilities for image processing such as the use of several filtering and zooming schemes, image conversion, as well as adjustment of brilliance and contrast. The images are recorded with a video camera and stored frame by frame on disc with a frame grabber and are interactively edited for processing. The image resolution may vary from 800 x 600 pixels with 65 536 colours to 1024 x 768 pixels and 256 colours. The package also includes the means for the acquisition of the co-ordinates of relevant marker points on the body segments and for their export to another package we have developed (Ferreira & Correia da Silva. 1991) which is capable of quantifying the kinematics of the body movement as well as of simulating alternative segment trajectories. Reference: Ferreira. C. & K.Correia da Silva(1991). "John- a Three- Dimensional Model for the Simulation of Human Movement". Proc. First Congress on Computer Science and New Technologies, Malaga.