The University is soliciting prospective proponents to submit proposals for Motion Capture Systems to measure human movement kinematics.
Motion Capture Systems are essential for accurately capturing and analyzing human movement by tracking the trajectory of markers and/or anatomical body features that allow us to compute the orientation of body segments and external objects, joint angles, and other key biomechanical metrics. When combined with force plates, Motion Capture (MOCAP) Systems allow for high-precision analyses of human motion, providing insights into muscle and joint contact forces during various dynamic activities, such as walking, running, jumping, carrying, standing, and lifting. A Motion Capture System’s capability to process dynamic tracking of marker-based or markerless human motion is valuable for biomechanics research, enabling accurate simulation and analysis of movement. The flexibility to capture complex and non-standard poses – such as lifting, side-cuts, sprinting etc – is critical for research applications across diverse populations and tasks.
The Motion Capture Systems must provide accurate, high-resolution tracking of human (and object) movement in 3D space with sub-millimetre accuracy. The Motion Capture Systems must allow for passive marker-based (i.e., reflective objects that rely on external light sources for tracking), active marker-based (i.e., light-emitting devices that are tracked by the system), and markerless (i.e., synchronized videos used to identify anatomical landmarks/features) tracking options that enable detailed kinematic and kinetic analyses when data collections are synchronized with force plates and other lab instrumentation. The Motion Capture Systems must support the generation of customizable online reports with a server securely hosted in Canada, ensuring data privacy and compliance with Canadian data regulations. The software must come with unlimited departmental licenses, allowing all members of the department unrestricted access for research and educational use. Data export must be available in biomechanical file formats to facilitate integration with analysis software (e.g., Theia, Visual3D, etc.) and simulation tools (e.g., OpenSim). The systems will be used to assess human movement across a variety of scenarios, accommodating diverse tasks (e.g., load handling, assistive device use, dual-task setups) and populations (e.g., youth, young and elderly adults, and individuals with neurological or musculoskeletal impairments).
There will be in total a need for 4 (four) separate systems, each capable of covering their specific tracking volume. Two big laboratories, with approximately 10 marker-based cameras and 8 video cameras each; and two medium laboratories with approximately 8 marker-based and 8 video cameras each (the specific camera needs for the space can be discussed within the proposal).
Mandatory Requirements:
1. Motion Capture System
1.1 The system must have a capture volume of at least 10 m x 5 m x 2 m for the two big laboratories; and a capture volume of at least 5 m x 5 m x 2 m for the two medium laboratories
1.2 The system must allow calibration procedure for both infrared and video cameras with an accuracy of at least 1 mm
1.3 The system must be able to capture the trajectories of both active and passive markers
1.4 The MOCAP camera system must be capable of recording active and passive markers at full field of view (FOV) and at least 250 fps
1.5 The MOCAP camera system must have a resolution of at least 8 megapixels
1.6 The video camera system must be able to record at a resolution of 1080p with a frequency of at least 120 Hz
1.7 The system must have flexibility to allow for low light and high light conditions during data collections.
1.8 The system must be capable of connecting and synchronizing with other biomechanical equipment/software currently in the lab space (e.g., force platforms: Bertec 4060, AMTI BMS 400600; instrumented treadmill: Bertec FIT5; EMG: Delsys Trigno; IMU: X-Sens MVN Link and MVN Awinda; and Markerless motion capture: Theia3D)
2. Software
2.1 The system must be able to create customizable online reports. Said reports will be hosted in a Canadian server and must comply with Canadian data legislations.
2.2 The proposal must include unlimited departmental software licenses.
2.3 The measurement software must allow for data exportation to the following common biomechanics formats: At least one of c3d, trc, or csv files; and at least one of mp4 or avi.
2.4 The system must allow users to collect both video and infrared at the same time, allowing them to overlay the reconstructed marker trajectories on the captured video.
2.5 The system must have an automatic marker labelling process.
2.6 The system must allow for real-time processing of markers identification for Virtual Reality use.
3. Warranty/CSA/Installation and Training
3.1 Must include a minimum 1-year hardware/software support warranty.
3.2 Delivery, installation, initial calibration, testing, and training must be included.
