GRADES 9-12
MOTION CAPTURE AND ANALYSIS

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Motion Caption (continued) High speed cameras can be used whenever motion is so fast that the motion can not be comprehended by our eyes and brain. One example from industry was an electronic toothbrush study. The cameras were used to determine if and how the bristles of the toothbrush reached the nooks and cracks on and between the teeth and gums. Today, advances in technology are making machines and processes faster and smaller. Motion capture and analysis is used in "quality control" (techniques used to assure high quality products). Cameras are used to monitor assembly lines for products like raisin cereal and soft drinks. For example, soda cans move quickly down an assembly line as they are filled and packaged. Automated camera systems watch the process and are able to determine when problems occur (dented cans, messy labels). A high speed camera is used to pinpoint where the damage occurs on the assembly line. One of the biggest users of motion capture and analysis is the automobile industry and not just to watch the performance of fast race cars! Motion capture and analysis is used in airbag performance and safety studies. Engineers and scientists study how airbags deploy (open up). They study the impact of the airbag against a person's body. They want to understand how the airbag affects people of all ages and sizes, especially small children. At the University of Southern California motion capture has been used to study the effectiveness of bicycle and motorcycle helmets. Researchers use head shape models and place helmets on them. They are dropped from different heights and videotaped with high speed cameras so that the researchers can see and understand what happens on impact. There are new uses of motion capture in medicine and biosciences as well. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego are able to watch chemical changes in blood using high speed video cameras. Animal subjects are given injections. The reactions of the red and white blood cells with the chemicals can actually be seen! Of course high speed cameras are used in sports to capture biomechanics. Motion capture and analysis has been used extensively in sports such as golf. Researchers at companies that manufacture golf equipment study how the contact between the golf club and the ball affect the flight of the ball. There are even training systems developed that videotape and analyze your golf swing so that you can become a better player.