A Novel Methodology to Determine Optimal Active Marker Scanner Placement

Abstract

Motion capture is a common technology used to measure human motion. One key aspect to collecting an ample amount of accurate data is maximizing the motion capture volume. This maximization is typically gone by a trial and error method. The purpose of this study was to develop a better method to determine the camera placement to maximize the captured volume. Two active marker scanners were methodically placed at various locations around a circle centered on a forceplate. The scanner placements of optimal coverage were defined as the position of the scanners when the area of overlap between the two scanners was maximum and the area of uncovered walkway at a minimum. The optimal placement of the scanners occurred when one scanner was placed at (−1.718, 2.459) meters with respect to the forceplate origin and the other positioned at (0.7691, −2.9) meters. Although these dimensions are specific to the constraints and walkway of our lab, the method can be adapted to any lab size. This setup is crucial to establish so accurate, un-occluded marker data can be collected in future studies.