TrajPy: empowering feature engineering for trajectory analysis across domains.

Area of Science:

• Multidisciplinary scientific research
• Computational biology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Trajectory analysis is crucial in fields like physics and medicine for quantifying and classifying sequential data.
• Existing tools for trajectory analysis lack user-friendliness and comprehensive features.
• There is a need for accessible, robust software to support diverse trajectory analysis applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce TrajPy, a free, open-source Python package designed for user-friendly trajectory analysis.
• To provide a tool with a graphical user interface and physical descriptors for characterizing complex trajectories.
• To facilitate the application of trajectory analysis in various scientific domains.

Main Methods:

• Development of TrajPy as a Python 3 package.
• Implementation of a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI).
• Inclusion of a suite of physical descriptors for trajectory characterization.

Main Results:

• TrajPy is a free, open-source Python package available under the GNU GPL-3.0 license.
• The package features an intuitive GUI and diverse physical descriptors.
• Successful application in analyzing mitochondrial motility and in silico cell migration models.

Conclusions:

• TrajPy empowers researchers by providing an accessible and effective tool for trajectory analysis.
• The package's features and applications demonstrate its utility across scientific disciplines.
• TrajPy enhances the quantification and classification of complex paths in scientific studies.