NIOSH Mining Major Equipment

Test subject motion tracked (left) and Jack´s virtual human mapped (right)

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The motion analysis capture system monitors and records a subject´s motions using optical markers on the subject. The resulting data is used to animate many types of digital subjects such as virtual humans and/or CAD models of machines. The gathered data is much more accurate than data from traditional, frame-by-frame animation techniques as it tracks real motions of the actual subject. The application of motion capture is well-documented with many examples from running, walking, spine studies, foot, shoulder, motor control applications, machine-human interaction studies and more.

The Eagle Digital System consists of 12 Eagle Digital Cameras, the EagleHub, and EVaRT software, which can capture complex motion with extreme accuracy. Real-time capabilities allow one to see capture results at the same instant as the subject is performing a specific task. Jack, a motion simulation and analysis software is used. It comes with a module that provides an interface to the motion-capture system. Motions represented by the optical markers are transferred into Jack, where researchers can examine both position and orientation of each motion. Jack can also be used for low back analysis and design of virtual humans.

Site:  Pittsburgh Research Laboratory

Laboratory:  Motion Analysis Laboratory