Is the MS Kinect suitable for motion analysis?

Abstract

Our work shows that the Kinect sensor is already capable of describing the motion of walking and running with acceptable accuracy in the frontal plane. Additionally it is proved that a posteriori optimization using a priori available knowledge can further improve the tracking of the anatomical landmarks. That does not mean the Kinect sensor is now ready for use in highly sophisticated scientific applications, but it can already be applied for basic research in simple clinical test cases. It is expected that regarding both accuracy and measurement frequency the near future will see significant improvements. Then, the Kinect will become a serious competitor for established motion analysis systems.