Xsens releases MVN Analyze - Lab quality motion capture in field conditions

The industry’s most flexible and reliable in-the-field motion capture solution is available now – delivering validated, super-accurate and reliable 3D kinematic data outside of the laboratory

Xsens announced the official launch of MVN Analyze 2018 – a refined motion capture solution that enables the motion capture of 3D kinematics data in any environment.

This landmark development solves several technical issues that have plagued biomechanical, ergonomics and sports science analysis in the past – primarily magnetic distortion, but also skin artifacts, drift, foot slide, contact handlings, and distorted height tracking and 3D position.

Thanks to these developments, Xsens’ MVN Analyze 2018 isn’t just bridging a gap between lab research and applied science – it is turning the field into the lab. Users can expect the same validated, high-grade data as that captured in laboratory conditions, but with the added benefit of true-to-life, in situ data, unmarred by synthetic surroundings. MVN Analyze 2017 is Lab 2.0.

Watch MVN Analyze 2018 in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ-ehBIfXEg 

Xsens has made the data captured in this video free for all to use, proving the power of the new engine.

Analysts specializing in sports science, ergonomics, rehabilitation and biomechanics can now take the easily portable Xsens technology into the field. In the past some analysis was confined to the lab, as that was the only place validated data could be captured. MVN Analyze 2018 allows analysts to break free: they can study a subject’s natural behavior in environments with real-life application – such as a running track, power plant or office space, instead of in a simulated laboratory facsimile – while still confident in the capture of precise, reliable, high-grade data.

MVN Analyze 2018 has been used for several validation studies which are or will be published in well-known peer reviewed journals, and has been tested by a number of renowned academic groups across various fields of research. The English Institute of Sport recently used Xsens to prepare biomechanical data for the 2018 Winter Olympics, and the University of Windsor has used the technology to study avoidance of musculoskeletal injuries in vehicle production lines. Coventry University, the University of Calgary, and the University of Skövde have also used Xsens technology for years to improve their results.

Liam Sanders, Technical Lead, English Institute of Sport, comments: “This new update adds total confidence to the data that we’re being given. That’s just the world we live in: there’s electricity and technology all around us. With the new system, however, those issues aren’t a consideration.

Xsens has increased the reliability and accuracy of its results tenfold. It’s really exciting – the data we can collect and the advice we can give off the back of it will take EIS to entirely new places.”

Lab 2.0 – motion capture in the field
By enabling lab quality motion capture in field conditions, MVN Analyze 2018 is positioned to change how researchers approach ergonomics, biomechanics, physiotherapy and sports performance analysis,

When confined to the lab or gym, results can be skewed by the synthetic environment in which they’re captured. But as MVN Analyze 2018 has remedied the issues that previously prevented robust inertial motion capture in the field, analysts no longer need be restricted by a lab environment. They can turn the field into the lab, capturing accurate, true-to-life data that reflects an athlete’s performance in the field or a worker’s sitting position in the office – not inside a simulation or on a treadmill.

Subjects can be captured performing physical tasks such as cycling, skating, driving or even skydiving with ease and total reliability. For instance, the evaluation of vehicle ingress and egress is a major area of concern in modern ergonomic study, and one that is notoriously difficult to collect motion data for due to the presence of metallic material. By adopting MVN Analyze 2018 clean data can now be captured from within the car.

Deeper, faster and more flexible motion analysis
Xsens MVN motion capture solutions are based on inertial technology – using gyroscopes, accelerometers, and magnetometers to capture movement, which negates the requirement for a camera and sensor setup.

In the past, data captured using inertial techniques was affected by environmental magnetic distortion. Metals present in capture environments such as laboratories, treadmills, and gyms could corrupt data and affect results. MVN Analyze 2018 solves this issue – it is immune to magnetic interference, by utilizing a new mocap engine that extracts more in-depth information from recorded data. This means users can collect human movement data sets, faster, with greater efficacy, allowing for deeper analysis and increased accuracy in findings.

Hein Beute, Product Manager at Xsens, comments: “Xsens MVN is the obvious choice for applications that want to integrate motion capture within real world situations. Users can capture a rehabilitation patient in his/her natural environment, or complete an athlete’s performance analysis on the field. MVN Analyze has accomplished a new level of technology maturity that will enable many new applications in the field of ergonomics, health and sport.”

MVN Analyze 2018 is Xsens’ proprietary motion capture software. It is used in conjunction with Xsens MVN hardware to record, monitor and assess movement. It integrates with industry-standard software such as Vive Tech, Dassault and Siemens Jack for unparalleled ease-of-use, and was recently presented at the International Society of Biomechanics (ISB).

Xsens MVN Analyze 2018 is available now and will be shipped with every new Xsens purchase. All current customers with a valid support contract can upgrade for free!

Xsens also recently released MVN Animate 2018 – a new version of the software tailored to the entertainment and animation markets. Here, Xsens is supporting efficiencies in ease and approach to production, and enabling the delivery of Hollywood-grade data in any environment.