The VICON Motion Capture System and Ground Reaction Force Plates
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The Vicon MX system is a state-of-art optical motion capture system that captures kinematic data from human motion activities. The human motion data is relayed to a computer where it is represented as position and angle-time profiles based on biomechanical linkage models. The major components of a Vicon MX system are the cameras, the controlling hardware module, the software to analyze and present the data, and a host computer to run the software. Ground Reaction Force Plates record the magnitude and direction of forces applied to the ground (typically by the feet) during physical activities. These force plates can be integrated with the motion capture and EMG systems to allow comprehensive data collection of subject activities. The OSE laboratory uses force plates to measure the physical forces generated during manual materials handling activities (i.e., pushing, pulling, lifting, and lowering) found in occupational settings and to study gait patterns under various conditions. These devices have also been used in conjunction with the Balance Master for occupational fall research.
This equipment can be used in any of the Auburn OSE/IP Laboratories and can be used in the field. It is utilized in various research activities, including biomechanical analyses of manual materials handling activities, gait analyses, postural/motion comfort and discomfort analyses and automotive ergonomics. This equipment is utilized for undergraduate and graduate level courses, including Introduction to Engineering (ENGR 1110), Ergonomics I (INSY 7060) and Ergonomics II (INSY 7070). This equipment was recently used for a senior design project to compare various workstation layouts.
