Precise Biomechanical Analysis and Research with Motion Capture

Reliable biomechanical research outcomes start with reliable data. Whether diving deep into athletic performance, injury prevention, clinical gait, or ergonomic risk, you need motion data you can trust — and a workflow you can repeat to build your datasets on.

Motion Data in Biomechanical Research

In most motion research workflows, the goal is to quantify how the body moves during a task and translate those signals into metrics that can be compared across trials, conditions, and populations. Common outputs include:

• Kinematics: joint angles, segment orientation, range of motion, velocity, acceleration
• Spatiotemporal metrics: step length, cadence, step width, timing
• Symmetry and coordination: left–right differences, inter-joint coordination
• Task-specific outcomes: reach strategy, trunk contribution, movement variability

How is Motion Capture Used in Biomechanics?

A typical workflow has three stages:

1. Capture movement in 3D — Motion capture records segment motion over time and reconstructs a 3D representation of the movement. Inertial systems using IMUs are especially useful when portability, fast setup, and capture outside a lab environment are required.

2. Convert signals into biomechanical variables — Raw sensor data becomes meaningful when combined with a biomechanical model, estimating segment orientations, joint angles, and other kinematic outputs.

3. Visualize, quantify, and report — Researchers use movement analysis software to visualize movement in 3D, compute metrics, compare trials and cohorts, and export outputs for further analysis.

Why Xsens for Biomechanics Research?

Xsens wearable motion capture supports data collection in environments where optical setups are not feasible. The Xsens Analyze platform is designed for human motion analysis and supports exporting data to MATLAB and other common biomechanics tools. Xsens also maintains a research and validation hub to help teams find publications and reference validation work in their methods sections.