MOTOM toolbox: MOtion Tracking via Optotrak and Matlab

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Robotics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Accurate motion capture is crucial for various scientific and engineering fields.
• Existing systems often require complex setup and integration.
• Northern Digital's Optotrak system offers advanced motion tracking capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a user-friendly Matlab toolbox for controlling the Optotrak system.
• To streamline data collection and analysis from the Optotrak system.
• To facilitate the integration of Optotrak motion capture into diverse experimental setups.

Main Methods:

• Development of a Matlab toolbox with automated installation, setup, and alignment procedures.
• Implementation of functionalities for controlling the Optotrak system and collecting marker position data.
• Support for grouping markers into a single body to obtain simultaneous position and orientation data.

Main Results:

• The toolbox enables automated control and data acquisition from the Optotrak system.
• Simultaneous tracking of individual marker positions and overall body kinematics (position, orientation) is achieved.
• The system is compatible with recent 64-bit computers and existing Matlab toolboxes.

Conclusions:

• The developed Matlab toolbox significantly simplifies the use of the Optotrak motion capture system.
• Automated procedures reduce human interaction, enhancing experimental efficiency.
• This tool empowers researchers to integrate advanced motion capture into their experiments with ease.