Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Measurement of the Hand Transmitted Vibration of the Human Hand Arm System During Operation of a Hand Tractor
Published on: June 16, 2021
Development of a system for measurement and analysis of tremor using a three-axis accelerometer
N Mamorita1, T Iizuka, A Takeuchi
1Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan. ce00733w@st.kitasato-u.ac.jp
Objectives:
The aim of the study was to develop a low-cost and compact system for analysis of tremor using a three-axis accelerometer (the Wii Remote (Nintendo)). To analyze tremor, we hypothesized that the influence of gravitational acceleration should be separated from that of movement. This hypothesis was tested experimentally and we also attempted to record and analyze tremor using our system in a clinical ward.
Methods:
A system for tremor measurement and analysis was developed using the three-axis accelerometer built into the Wii Remote. The frequency and amplitude of mechanical oscillation were calculated using methods for frequency analysis of the axis of largest variance and an estimation of tremor amplitude.
Results:
The system consists of a program for measurement and analysis of Wii Remote acceleration (Tremor Analyzer), a Wii Remote, a Bluetooth USB adapter and a Web camera. The Tremor Analyzer has a GUI (graphical user interface) that is divided into five seg- ments. The sampling period of the analyzer is 30 msec. To confirm the hypothesis, mechanical oscillations were fed to the Wii Remote. The peak frequency of the power spectrum and the frequency of the oscillation generator were in good agreement, except at 1 Hz (0.01 G) and 2 Hz (0.02 G). With a change in the sum of squares of the three axes from 1.0 to 1.8 (G), the estimated and generated amplitude (0.3 cm) were in close agreement.
Conclusions:
This system using a Wii Remote is capable of analyzing frequency and estimated amplitude of tremor between 3 Hz and 15 Hz.
Related Concept Videos
Measuring Acceleration Due to Gravity
A simple pendulum can be described as a point mass and a string. Meanwhile, a physical pendulum is any object whose oscillations are similar to a simple pendulum, but cannot be modeled as a point mass on a string because its mass is distributed over a larger area. The behavior of a physical pendulum can be modeled using the principles of...
Relative Motion Analysis using Rotating Axes - Acceleration
Time differentiation is...
Relative Motion Analysis - Acceleration
Gyroscope
Relative Motion Analysis using Rotating Axes
However, to express the relative position of point B relative to point A, an additional frame of reference, denoted as x'y', is necessary. This additional frame not only translates but also rotates relative to the fixed frame, making it instrumental in...
Gyroscope: Precession

