Motion Capture: The art of studying complex human activity

In this FutureLearn course, you will learn about how to record, visualize, and analyze human body motion.

String quartet with sensors

An example of motion capture from a concert with the Borealis String Quartet in December 2019. Each of the musicians wears a motion capture suit and eye-tracking glasses.

This online course from the University of Oslo is for everyone interested in human motion capture. You’ll start by learning the basics of human anatomy and biomechanics. Then we’ll move on to setting up, calibrating and recording with an infrared optical motion capture system. Some other sensing technologies will also be presented, including accelerometers, muscle sensors, and video recordings. Examples will be given of how such systems are used in various types of music research. Finally, you’ll learn about some of the ethical and legal challenges of working with human motion capture.

What topics will you cover?

  • Introduction to movement analysis
  • Anatomy and biomechanics
  • Infrared motion capture
  • Video-based analysis
  • Accelerometry and muscle sensing
  • Motion capture in music research
  • Ethical and legal matters

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Describe the musculoskeletal system and biomechanics of the human body
  • Reflect on the usage of various motion capture systems for different applications
  • Describe the setup of an infrared marker-based motion capture system
  • Identify challenges working with different types of motion capture systems
  • Explain some ethical issues related to motion capture of human participants

Who is the course for?

This course is for students and staff interested in using motion capture technologies in their research activities.

What software or tools do you need?

The course describes several advanced motion capture systems. You can complete the course without any specialized equipment but will need access to a motion capture lab to get hands-on experience with the presented technologies.

Go to course on FutureLearn

Published Apr. 17, 2021 6:46 AM - Last modified Dec. 18, 2022 10:12 PM