In Praise of Project Planning, Pilots, Points and Processing

Knowing where to place your Markers

Marker placement is a huge subject and can be tricky to grasp if you are a newcomer to Motion Capture. Even highly qualified and experienced biomechanists can struggle when presented with a new project and a blank sheet. If your mathematical background doesn’t include a detailed knowledge of Vector Algebra where do you start?

If you can find similar studies in the published literature you may be able to use a previously developed marker-set and modeling protocol. Many lower limb studies will be based on the so-called Helen Hayes method (though it is also known by many other names). This is often regarded as the gold standard for Gait Analysis, despite being from the 1980’s. It was perfect for the camera systems of the day, using the absolute minimum number of markers to save all the post processing time. It solves problems that 21st century systems no longer have. Though take care as almost all models now are ‘modified-Helen-Hayes’ and they vary in subtle ways.

If you can’t ‘stand on the shoulders of giants’ where do you begin? 

Let’s consider Markers, Virtual Markers and Points (ie coordinates in 3d space). Each segment that you want to track will need at least three, non-linear, points to give all six degrees of freedom, XYZ and 3 Rotations. An individual marker tells you a position; singularly it can’t give you an orientation.

These can be real markers or virtual ones, which are points calculated from marker data but offset in a rigorously defined way. For example if you want to know where a Knee Joint Centre (KJC) is, you can’t place a marker inside the body but if you can place two, carefully on the surface where the knee joint axis line passes through the skin it is possible to readily define the KJC, as a Virtual Marker, halfway between them. Motion Analysis’s highly regarded Cortex software has an easy to use graphical interface that presents this and even more complex Vector Algebra with beautiful simplicity.

Three markers for every segment can soon add up, but often a single, carefully defined point (real or virtual marker) can be shared. That KJC point, or the outside knee marker can be used for the thigh and shank segments.

After you have decided on a marker set that covers the segments that you need to know the angles between, plus all the other spatial–temporal parameters which Cortex will also calculate for you, you’ll be ready to get on with the fun part: the motion capture of all your subjects. Or can you?

You may need to revise your ideal marker set due to the reality of you systems camera count and the specific move you want to analyze. For example, if your laboratory has cameras permanently fixed high on the walls and you are studying push-ups, any markers on the front of the subject will be impossible to see. For the chest you could just place three or more markers on the subject’s back and remove the front markers. Or better still leave the front markers, add additional back markers and use predefined tools to recreate the ‘lost’ markers with virtual ones calculated from the relative positions of these extras. There are gap filling interpolation tools but they are making up data, whereas these ‘virtual joins’ are using genuine information.

It’s worth consider a Pilot Study

If this is all seeming a bit difficult to grasp, then we highly recommend a Pilot Study. Often the best way to find out what snags are going to catch you out is to get in the lab and try it. Set aside time to try a couple of subjects with different marker sets. Work through this data and find out where markers need adding, or which ones are not needed. It will also help you decide which parts of the myriad results are essential for your study.

Time and effort spent on a Pilot Study early on always saves you later down the line! It can help prevent hours of clean up and post processing, and most often it highlights a tiny tweak that could have prevented you answering the actual question you set out to study.

If you don’t have a lab yet but are thinking of investing in one then please contact Motion Analysis, we’ll be happy to discuss your experiment. We’ve helped set up thousands of labs around the world and will be happy to assist.

Important considerations when purchasing a motion capture system

If you’re still in the process of deciding on the motion capture system you need, we have put together a helpful checklist to keep in mind during your decision making process.

Cortex 10 Raises the Bar for Motion Capture Excellence

Motion Analysis has built its reputation over 40 years as a pioneer of innovative motion capture technology. Our powerful Cortex software platform has become the gold standard for biomechanical researchers, animators and movement scientists around the world. Today, we are proud to announce the release of Cortex 10 – a new version with some great new capabilities.

With each new iteration, we strive to push the boundaries of what’s possible in motion tracking and analysis. This release introduces several features that will streamline workflows, unlock new research potential, and elevate the precision of motion data like never before.

Integrated Glove Tracking

One of the most significant additions in Cortex 10 is the seamless integration of MANUS Meta glove technology. We have combined the robust, marker-based motion capture core of Cortex with MANUS’s high-fidelity finger animation data stream. This yields an unprecedented level of hand tracking fidelity from a single unified data channel for biomechanics and animation.

Automated Marker Identification

Setting up robust marker identification can be a tedious process. With Cortex 10, we’ve dramatically simplified this workflow using new automated tools. We provide four pre-built “golden” marker templates that can auto-scale to subjects in real-time. Additionally, a new marker generation script allows users to rapidly build custom marker sets from previous capture data.

Intelligent Batch Processing

The new batch processing options in Cortex 10 add a level of intelligence and customization that will optimize post-production pipelines. Users can now selectively process and export files based on the capture status and file type using a simple selection menu or custom scripts. This makes it easy to streamline exports for analysis while excluding any unwanted capture files.

Collaborative Marker Management

To foster better teamwork, we’ve made the central system objects folder used for storing marker definitions fully editable in Cortex 10. This allows multiple users to access a shared network location for storing and managing marker object variations across consecutive projects.

Simplified Multi-Markerset Handling

Another key addition is markerset-based capture trimming using new built-in scripts. This tool is critical when dealing with complex captures involving multiple markerset objects, which can convolute the data stream. With a simple script, users can trim out individual markersets for clean, focused analysis.

HD Video Integration

Last but not least, Cortex 10 adds integration with our new Rainbow camera line. These reference video cameras can record full HD at over 80FPS or 1.1Mpxls above 100FPS while precision synchronized too the motion capture data stream. This offers vastly improved video reference capabilities for analysis.

We have worked tirelessly to pack Cortex 10 with innovations that will help our users capture more precise movement data through streamlined workflows and enhanced processing power. This release is a major step forward that reinforces why Cortex remains the most trusted and capable motion capture software platform in the world.

Cortex 10 is now available to all Motion Analysis customers with current support contracts or warranties. We encourage you to upgrade today to take advantage of these powerful new features. As always, we welcome any feedback from our user community as we continue raising the bar for motion capture excellence.

Book a demo today

10 Surprisingly cool career paths in motion analysis

You might think motion capture is all about Hollywood stars prancing around in spandex suits, but the applications of this cutting-edge technology go far beyond the silver screen. In fact, motion analysis experts are in high demand across a diverse range of sectors, each offering its own unique brand of fun and fulfillment. Let’s take a look:

1. Biomechanist barnstormers

As a motion analysis pro in the world of biomechanics, you’ll get to study the mechanics of the human body in mind-bending detail. Whether you’re helping athletes optimize their performance or assisting doctors in rehabilitation, your work will have a tangible impact on people’s lives. Plus, you get to geek out over fancy terms like “joint kinematics” and “ground reaction forces” – what’s not to love?

2. Virtual virtuoso

Love the idea of creating immersive virtual worlds? Motion analysis is the key to unlocking the next generation of gaming, VR, and animation. Become a motion-capturing maverick, and you could be the mastermind behind the captivating movements of your favorite video game characters or the lifelike animations that wow audiences.

3. Robotic rockstar

Ever dreamed of programming robots to move with the grace and dexterity of a human? Motion analysis is your ticket to the cutting edge of robotics and automation. Analyze movement patterns, optimize trajectories, and bring a touch of humanity to the machines of the future.

4. Sports sensation

For the athletically inclined, motion analysis offers a front-row seat to the inner workings of elite sports. Whether you’re helping coaches fine-tune training regimes or identifying injury risk factors, your work will give you an insider’s view of the high-stakes world of professional athletics.

5. Dance dynamo

Who says motion analysis is all about crunching numbers? If you’ve got a passion for the performing arts, you can put your movement expertise to work choreographing captivating dance routines or analyzing the technique of prima ballerinas. Get ready to pirouette your way into an exciting new career.

6. Accident investigator

When things go wrong, motion analysis can be a game-changer. From reconstructing car crashes to analyzing workplace incidents, your ability to break down complex movements can help uncover the truth and prevent future accidents.

7. Fashion forward

Haute couture may seem like an unlikely destination for a motion analysis pro, but the industry is actually teeming with opportunities. Leverage your movement expertise to design ergonomic clothing, optimize garment fit, and even enhance the runway experience with cutting-edge motion capture.

8. Medical maverick

In the world of healthcare, motion analysis is revolutionizing the way we diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate patients. From analyzing gait patterns to monitoring neurological conditions, your skills can make a real difference in people’s lives.

9. Industrial innovator

Motion analysis isn’t just for the glitz and glamor – it’s also transforming the way we approach industrial processes. Optimize manufacturing workflows, improve product design, and even enhance workplace safety through the power of movement data.

10. Wildlife wizard

For the nature enthusiasts out there, motion analysis can open the door to a career studying the remarkable movements of the animal kingdom. From tracking the migratory patterns of majestic creatures to analyzing the biomechanics of our furry, feathered, and finned friends, the possibilities are endless.

So, there you have it – ten surprisingly awesome career paths in the world of motion analysis. Whether you’re a data-crunching dynamo or a movement-loving maverick, the opportunities are endless. So why not strap on your motion capture suit and get ready to shake up the world?

11. Mocap manufacturer

If you’re technically-inclined, why not consider a role in the motion capture manufacturing industry? We employee all of the above, as well as high-end hardware and superb software engineers, marketing maestros, sales specialists, admirable administrators, terrific technicians and many more.

Ones to watch: the leading motion capture trends to follow in 2023

A man on a horse, then rotoscoping, then Gollum: trends do not so much come and go within motion capture, but continue on an upward trajectory. Movie magic, owed to the growing capability of visual effects since last century, was just the start for 3D animation and mocap’s rapid advancement. 

Since then, high-quality cameras, expansive analytical software, and lightweight autonomous vehicles have all contributed towards innovation in the space; the global 3D motion capture market hit an impressive US$193.1 million in 2022. And now, accurate motion mapping not only helps to craft otherworldly characters and worlds for movies and gaming experiences. Healthcare, sport performance, product development, and the military are all sectors growing their mocap abilities to better our understanding of movement through AI and robotics. 

Here are prevalent motion capture trends putting cutting-edge technology into practice, looking to spark creative endeavors and boost scientific discovery this year and beyond.

Enhanced drone tracking to enable safe work

Drones are not just remote-controlled airborne crafts. While reliable for filming footage over rugged landscapes, or above sports stadiums, drones are instead autonomous vehicles able to traverse ground level (or subterranean) environments. Currently used mainly by private researchers, among other critical use cases, drones’ location accuracy needs to be precise during the operations that researchers and other professionals conduct. 

To ensure this precision, mocap can be used in the testing phases of drone tracking, allowing the vehicles to perform remotely via GPS. An operator can follow the movements of their attached emitters using advanced motion cameras, even when obscured by surfaces or objects. This is essential when carrying out dangerous safety checks, including disaster relief, identifying leaked gas dispersion, or inspecting faulty equipment, which pose great risks of injury. Already used by energy companies, drones and their tracking components are also fast becoming more lightweight and flexible for different engineering needs and maximum performance. 

The rise of deepfake in entertainment

Deepfake is often mistaken as a form of motion capture, a machine learning tool rather than mocap’s visual effect technology able to track real-time movement. But despite being under fire for its nefarious uses of superimposing different identities onto real people, deepfake’s positives for the film industry and biometrics can thrive with increasing regulation, and generative adversarial networks (GANs) able to detect fake images, taking it far beyond a facial-mapping trick.

Deepfaking has already been used for deaging special effects (The Irishman), or replicating characters performed by late actors (Star Wars). But its future relies on collaborating with motion capture technology, which can enhance these continuity efforts by recording actors’ movements to make whole deepfaked entities more realistic, besides just facial expression. Hollywood may adopt this ‘meeting in the middle’ approach, an innovation in motion capture backed by famed bodysuit artist Andy Serkis.

AI and mocap revolutionizing healthcare

Motion capture wearables are by no means limited to acting use. In landmark studies, researchers across University College London and Imperial College London are instead combining data collected by bodysuits with AI algorithms to help understand movement-related conditions, including dementia, muscular dystrophy, stroke, and Parkinson’s. 

Mocap systems help researchers to monitor the tendencies and patterns of biomechanical movements as the software can create digitally-mapped ‘twins’, rendered representations of patients, for further data analysis. Resulting insights assist in tracking the progress of rehabilitation techniques, or predict any future detrimental effects across a variety of conditions associated with bodily motion.  

Crafting more efficient virtual productions

FIlmmaking was rife with problems caused by the pandemic; namely the lack of production equipment supplies and mass crew shortages for shoots worldwide. But the knock-on effect has seen further investment in virtual production: ‘LED volumetric’ capabilities can take mocap-suit actors to any conceivable virtual location using large-scale screens. 

Live action can be shot in real time against these high-definition backdrops superimposed with limitless computer generated graphics. Artists are able to craft stunning worlds (on earth or otherwise) in a remote studio for smaller teams, all while curbing logistical issues and reducing carbon emissions associated with the movie industry. 

Mocap to enter the metaverse

Not only is cloud technology seeing 3D character animators working collaboratively and remotely online, but mocap is being used to further virtual and augmented reality. The metaverse marks the next digital frontier, where captured movements of singers, dancers or actors, and other entertainers can populate an interactive virtual platform where avatars (representations of ourselves) work together, shop, or experience live music and dramatic events. It’s a reality beyond our current lived reality, and an exciting prospect to see come to life through mocap. 

Considering the immense motion capture advances above, the technology has to similarly thrive among a host of use cases; whether for character animation, drone tracking, or otherwise, accurate motion capture relies on robust cameras and marker kits. Our expanded range of upgradable BaSix mocap cameras provides advantages for various locations and services, integrating with Cortex software. As these mocap trends kick into gear, we’re looking forward to seeing how we can assist our customers to revolutionize mocap use across the globe. 

See how Bournemouth University puts Motion Analysis’ future-ready mocap into action or get in touch with our team to discover our range of solutions for animation, gaming, broadcasting, industrial work, and more.

From fruit flies to elephants, and everything in between. We’re celebrating 40 years of mocap!

This October, we’re celebrating our 40th birthday. Over the course of our four decade history, we’ve made a concerted effort to keep innovation at the heart of everything we do, which may explain why we’ve managed to achieve so much during this time. Using motion capture in settings that you wouldn’t expect, our software has traveled from a ballet studio to an ice rink and has even scaled the hills of Mount Doom. 

This means that we’ve had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with clients who are using our mocap software in their cutting-edge research and incredible creative projects across a wide range of industries. 

From intern to VP, Phil Hagerman shares interesting insights over a 20+ year tenure

Just ask Phil Hagerman, who started out as an intern at Motion Analysis in the late ‘90s and has spent most of his career learning, growing and excelling as part of our team. 

Today, Phil is our VP of Operations. He has worked across all aspects of the business – employed as everything from an electronics technician to a support engineer, sales and director of customer service. He has helped us to build prototypes, trained our resellers, and improved and refined our processes. Phil has played an integral role in expediting issue resolution for our customers and making sure that everyone has the information they need at their fingertips. 

Over more than 20 years, Phil has also served as a trusted advisor to the business, particularly around how we plan and develop our strategies for the future. 

Thinking ahead to stay ahead

“Recently, with the supply chain shortages, I started to monitor the individual components that go into our products,” says Phil. “I actually spent an absurd amount of time tracking the lifecycles and availability of these components to make sure that we buy the parts we need before they are unavailable.”

We’ve also seen the industry change dramatically over the years. When you think about the fact that things like the iPhone or Google didn’t exist 40 years ago – technologies that have become staples in our everyday lives – you realize just how much progress has been made in recent years. 

A six-camera Motion Analysis VP320 system photographed in the late 80’s

At Motion Analysis, we’re proud to say that we’ve been able to translate this progress into success, not only for our business but also for our customers. From analyzing the movement of dancers, and developing an improved basketball shoe to rehabilitating wounded soldiers, we’ve done a lot.

Pre-realtime labeling: The six-camera Motion Analysis VP320 system Using Motion Analysis’s ExpertVision (EV) software to record and track a gymnast in the late 80’s

Navigating the peaks and valleys 

It’s been great to see the business adapt and thrive through various peaks and valleys, adds Phil. “I was there after 9/11 when some people were moved to part time roles because we just didn’t have enough orders coming in.” 

And on the converse, we had one December where we had to revamp our manufacturing system just to get out all the systems that had been ordered, he continues. “Watching the business go through periods where we’ve struggled and then excelled, I can see how we’ve used periods of downtime to look at how we can make things better.” 

Celebrating the weird and wonderful

For Phil, there isn’t only one standout experience or highlight because, “Motion Analysis has great relationships with all of our customers and we love all the motion capture projects we get to work on.”

“Some of the projects we’ve worked on over the years are just mind blowing. We’ve done motion capture projects where we’ve tracked something as small as a fruit fly to something as large as an elephant. It’s really interesting to see how things move. Yes, this is enabled by innovation in motion capture and the flexibility of our systems, but it’s also about our clients’ creativity.”

Speeding up processes with the introduction of custom designed VPAT cards to record the camera data to memory: The MIDAS based system running ExpertVision Advanced (EVa) in the early-mid 90’s

Acknowledging that customer needs have changed a lot over the years, Phil notes that Motion Analysis has consistently updated its mocap hardware and software to cater to these needs. For example, while we have always been known for developing high-end passive marker systems, we recently launched the BaSix camera family, which consists of three “light” camera models. BaSix was launched in an effort to make mocap more accessible and affordable for smaller studios. 

Looking to the future

Lucy Keighley, president of Motion Analysis, believes that our success comes down to all the people who make the company what it is today. “Most of our team have been working here for many years and that’s because, despite being smaller and spread across the world, our values align and that keeps us connected,” she says. “I would say that our greatest value is the relationship we have with our customers. Whether it’s our developers or sales staff, we all make an effort to get to know and to prioritize the needs of our customers above everything.” 

Looking ahead, we’re excited about the next 40 years of innovation in motion capture. 

“We want to evolve with and stay on top of new technology as it comes out. Our software is a core component that makes us stand out. And so we will continue to ensure that our software evolves with our clients’ needs, so that it can continue to be used in things like industrial design and ergonomics, animation, drone tracking, animal/human biomechanics, and so much more,” Phil says. “When you think about future applications, the possibilities are endless.”