biomechZoo: An open-source toolbox for the processing, analysis, and visualization of biomechanical movement data

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Movement Sciences
• Computational Science

Background:

• Biomechanics datasets often involve complex, time-series data with multiple variables.
• Standardized processing and analysis are essential for extracting meaningful insights from such data.
• Effective visualization is critical for understanding complex biomechanical movements.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce biomechZoo, an open-source toolbox for biomechanics data analysis.
• Highlight key features: 3D motion animation (Director), data plotting (Ensembler), and joint kinematics/kinetics computation.
• Validate biomechZoo's computational accuracy by comparing it to an established system.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a sample dataset including 3D marker, ground reaction force (GRF), and joint data from walking and turning tasks.
• Employed biomechZoo's integrated tools for data sorting, processing, and analysis.
• Performed comparative analysis of joint kinematics and kinetics computed by biomechZoo against a commercial system.

Main Results:

• Joint kinematics and kinetics calculated using biomechZoo demonstrated similarity to outputs from a commercial system.
• The toolbox provides a flexible platform for analyzing time-series data common in movement science.
• Successfully processed and analyzed diverse datasets including walking, running, and ice hockey movements.

Conclusions:

• biomechZoo offers a valuable, open-source solution for researchers and clinicians in biomechanics.
• The toolbox facilitates data processing and analysis, aiding both novice and advanced users.
• It aims to advance research in movement sciences through accessible and customizable tools.