We (Tom Igoe and Dustyn Roberts) are looking for a work-study candidate to do some work on biomechanics for the early summer. Contact Dustyn Roberts or I if interested.
Tom Igoe
ti8@nyu.edu
Dustyn Roberts
The first phase of the project is to document the state of the art (often closed source) and state of the openness of several components of a biomechanical tool kit for future versions of this class as well as the ITP community in general. Closed source but useful/affordable options (e.g. Kinect) should be documented and open software/hardware versions identified where available. Basic examples shown for biomechanics where available, and links to known good tutorials. The second phase of the project is to identify off the shelf modules based on these components that can be purchased for the ITP ER for student use. So each of the bullet points below, ask:
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What is the commercial version(s) of this? Is there an open source version of this? If so, is it a project that’s already documented, or a module that can be bought, or both? If not, map out a framework for what would be needed to create an open source version. And for both the closed source/commercial and open (if available) options, what is the best resource for a beginner to get started?
The components of a biomechanical tool kit could include:
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Motion Capture (kinematics – position, velocity, acceleration)
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Optical
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Closed: Kinect, Leap motion, Vicon, Organic Motion, Qualysis
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IMU-based (need individual modules as well as full body systems)
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Closed: XSENS, MotionNode
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Open: OpenIMU
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Motion Capture (kinetics – ground reaction forces)
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Closed: AMTI force plates, Wii balance board, pressure sensitive mats, in-shoe systems
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Integrated MoCap systems
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Closed: Vicon + force plates
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Closed alternative: Kinect + Wii balance board?
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Human movement visualization tools
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Closed: Maya/character animation tools?
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Open: Processing – Biomechanique work
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EMG
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Closed: Delsys
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Open: Advancer Techniques (sold by Sparkfun), Spikerbox (Backyard Brains)
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Indirect spriometry (Metabolism monitor)
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Closed: Cosmed
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Open: oxygen sensor?
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Thermal imaging
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Closed: FLIR
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Daily activity monitoring
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Closed: Fitbit
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Fitness monitoring
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Closed: Polar heart rate monitors, blood pressure monitors, scales
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Skin distortion tracking
Ideas to add to physical tool kit:
Pressure mat and/or force plates
Torque watch
Wearables toolkit (velcro, fabric, conductive thread, etc.)
The position is $20/hr, and our estimate is about 20 hours over 5 weeks to cover the material. Note that we are unlikely to get all of this done, so the goal is to do as much as we can with the time and budget we have available.
Skills needed:
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good writing and documentation skills
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ability to learn new hardware and software interfaces quickly
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comfort in working out how to use these tools with minimal guidance
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coding in Java/Processing and C++/Arduino with minimal guidance
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understanding of how to write Arduino and Processing libraries a plus