AFO Gait

Principal Investigators 

Infantolino, Mahoney

Summary

overlay_cropFull 3D motion-capture systems (e.g. Motion Analysis, Vicon) can cost well over $100,000. However, for classroom demonstrations and undergraduate research, a full system may not be needed. If only joint angles are desired, electric goniometers can be employed, but are intrusive and expensive. Furthermore, it is difficult to find angles for some joints (e.g. hip) using a goniometer. We present and validate, via a pilot experiment, a motion capture system and method for capturing planar motion for less than $500 (not including software). Hardware is available off the shelf and the analysis software runs in Matlab. Pilot validation of the method was performed by comparing angles found with the camera system to those found by electric goniometer. The system was then tested by capturing knee and ankle angles of participants walking on a treadmill while wearing ankle foot orthoses (AFO). The end-goal of the system is to identify an optimal AFO for a patient in a clinical setting.

Outcomes

Undergraduate Theses: Weir (2015), Jankowski (2015)

Honors Thesis: Morales (2016)

ASB Conference Poster: Methodology, Validation and Testing of an Inexpensive Optical Planar-Motion Capture System