Walking could become easier with new, motion capture technology

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Wood squeaks and cracks with each step on the hardwood floors of the Anna Hiss Gym. What once served as the dance studio in the University of Texas' women's gym, now is filled with more than a dozen small cameras.

People walk through the space, the cameras capturing their movement, and then as if through magic, a computer displays an overlay of their bones on a flat monitor along the east wall.

The advanced motion tracking tech is used by the staff of the Systems for Augmenting Human Mechanics Lab to discover how people walk. With that information, they could potentially revolutionize the prosthetics industry.

"In order to understand the ways the different muscles work together when people are walking, you need to do a lot of really kind of complicated simulations and things like that," said Ross Neuman, a post-doctoral student with the lab.

Learning to walk tips

Neuman guided our crew through an obstacle course of sorts. We walked up and down steps, over ramps, up ledges and back and forth between balance beams.

The motion capture caught all of our movement on the cameras and, using AI assistance, was able to determine where our bones were located and how they move.

For a person with a missing limb or a debilitating disease, like multiple sclerosis (MS), learning more about movement is a game changer. "We'll hopefully be able to make highly personalized assisted devices for people," Neuman said.

Replacing limbs and providing assistance

Highly personalized devices are important. Each person moves differently. Women are more likely to develop MS, for instance, than men. A one-size-fits-all all piece of equipment doesn't work for everyone.

One example provided: an exosuit. The suit straps along the outside of a person's body, with elastic bands stretching down a person's leg.

For a person with MS, these bands could help them walk. "You essentially observe a leg that looks very heavy. It lags behind people, and often people have issues clearing their toe," said Nick Fey, an Associate Professor at the University of Texas and head of the lab.

The bands could be tightened or loosened based on the needs of the individual patient. The motion capture technology could help a physical therapist determine how to adjust the suit.

"It's important for someone to be able to configure their assistance dynamically, for therapists to know what to do, so it's not trial and error," Fey said.

Advances in motion capture

The motion capture technology doesn't require a skin-tight suit covered in shiny pieces of plastic, like in a big Hollywood movie. Neuman said it can track a person's bones even if they're wearing a flowing outfit. A dress could push that a little far, however.

"You're just having them walk into a space as they normally would. You can get information that's almost in real time," Fey said.

For Fey, helping people walk better is very important. "It's directly tied to quality of life, jobs that you can have, and the activities you can pursue," Fey said.

The lab receives funding for its projects from Dell Medical School, the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

"If you can make people move around the world (and) better their homes and the community, that can have a huge impact," Fey said.