Computergraphic modeling and analysis: A portable system for tracking arm movements in three-dimensional space

A system is presented that allows automated, three-dimensional tracking of hand and arm movements. The system incorporates commercially available optoelectronic cameras and provides portable and affordable, yet accurate, three-dimensional monitoring of multiple joints of the hands and arms. Special-purpose hardware components were developed, as was software for data acquisition, data processing, and graphic display. The hardware and software are described, along with such necessary procedures as system calibration and transformation of coordinate system frames of reference. Testing of the system revealed highly accurate three-dimensional spatial tracking. The three-dimensional numeric and graphic analyses of movement made possible by this system allow new studies into the nature of the neural control of movement.