Now there is a considerable amount of theoretical and practical offers for the motion analysis equipment use. We will try to consider their classification and some features and give some interesting information on the motion analysis equipment use. The computer based motion analysis systems can be divided into active and passive systems.
1. Active systems use gauges which transfer information on the condition, for the analysis of the movement of an object. For example, on the ship launched, it is possible to establish the radio-gauges for researches of the parameters of its stability. For the analysis of a person's movement, it is possible to use a mechanical suit. It appears to be also an example of the system with active gauges, because the information on the movement is formed directly in units of a suit by means of the tracking change of the corners between parts.
Simplicity and accuracy of the processing of the received information is what characteristic of these systems. However, such systems are considered to be completely inconvenient. Active gauges are frequently bulky and, therefore, they can obstruct the movement of an object or fail to provide the required completeness of the data on the movement. Nevertheless, the motion analysis equipment use exists with the use of active gauges. Moreover, the considered area is being developed these days and has a number of advantages. One of the biggest advantages of passive gauges is the comparative simplicity of the processing of the received data, owing to that, the active system can provide much less discrete reception of the information on an object than the system with passive gauges.
2. The gauges of the system are considered to be passive, if they do not form the data on the movement of the researched object, and simply receive any natural information on the object, for example, its image. The further processing is made by software. Frequently it happens to be easier than the system of this kind concerning from the point of view of the hardware realization. But the mathematical data processing considerably becomes complicated, especially when the high accuracy of the analysis is required.
You may ask where motion analysis equipment is supposed to be used. We can use it in many areas of our life. For example, some special effects in a movie, cartoon films are created with the use of movements of either a person or an animal which are drawn. And at last, computer based motion analysis is used for creation of robots. It would be interesting to know that recently Japanese have created the humanoid robot which is very similar to a human in appearance. A humanoid robot, a female, named Repliee Q1. It is elastic silicone and not firm plastic, as it is the case with usual robots that is used to imitate human skin.
Numerous gauges and servomotors allow turning it on and reacting to events in the same way as people do. The robot is able to blink eyes, it moves hands and pretends in a womanly way and it breathes. But still Repliee Q1 can operate only in a sitting position. A meal of drives is carried out from the air compressor, and they are programmed in such a manner that movements of the humanoid robot are indistinguishable from human. Movements of its body are based on computer based motion analysis of a person. Besides, the algorithm is improved, and Repliee Q1 observes the people around and operates irrespective of them. The humanoid robot is capable to communicate with people and to react to touches.
The hardware of the developed system of motion analysis equipment use will consist of popular and not expensive devices: a set of light-emitting diodes as markers, several video cameras (the use of web cameras is possible) and a personal computer. But without mentioning general availability of devices, the process of computer based motion analysis is rather labor-consuming, but it is very fascinating, and the results of this process bring a lot of pleasure.