Physical Therapists Develop Affordable Camera System

Physical therapists often use expensive, over-engineered equipment that does its job well but is expensive. It’s one reason the overall cost of rehab can be steep, as buying and maintaining pricey equipment quickly adds up. For example, some of the more advanced systems involve multiple cameras that track how the arms, legs, and other parts of the body move in relation to each other. Some of these camera setups can cost upwards of $100,000 dollars.

Motion-based lab technology can help physical therapists analyze movements and can thereby provide solution therapies for their patients.

Now, researchers at University of Missouri have developed a low cost body motion analysis system that uses a Microsoft Kinect 2.0 depth-sensing camera and a laptop that analyzes the incoming data.

University Of Missouri

University of Missouri

Physical Therapists: How this Affordable Camera Works

Missouri researchers used the depth camera from a video game system to capture movement from participants doing drop vertical jumps and lateral leg raises. The participants’ movements also were measured using traditional motion-capture technology that involved placing markers on their skin. Researchers found that the systems produced similar results.

Assessment of movement is essential to evaluating injury risk and rehabilitative outcomes. This affordable camera system using motion analysis testing, provides accurate assessments at a fraction of the cost of current systems.

Watch this informative video on how this motion analysis system works: