Motion analysis system for capturing human movement (renewal)

• Subject Area: Neurosciences
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 584669613

Most biomechanical studies are conducted under planned conditions, which are characterized by a controlled and standardized environment without reactive components. This approach, however, exhibits limited ecological validity: A person's movement in real-life or sports is influenced by a variety of dynamic factors, such as other persons or objects as well as temporal or spatial limitations. When facing such challenges, neurocognitive functions play a key role, as they govern reactive movement under time pressure. This becomes particularly evident when individuals are confronted with unforeseen situations and spontaneously have to adapt their movement within split seconds (e.g., if dodging a car or jumping to avoid collision with an opponent). Therefore, unplanned movement requires a complex interplay of a) cognitive functions such as inhibitory control, working memory, or reaction time, and b) aspects of neuromuscular control. The study of biomechanics during decision-making situations is a highly attractive and innovative research field with potential implications for performance and health in sports, fall and accident prevention in daily life, as well as functional independence in old age. For our investigations, a high-resolution motion capture system (MoCap) with specialized infrared cameras for three-dimensional detection of reflective body position markers, along with a wireless electromyography system (EMG) suitable for mobile measurements, shall be employed, among others. This large-scale equipment, consisting of MoCap and EMG, enables— in combination with the existing force plates—new insights into kinematic and kinetic parameters as well as muscle activity patterns during spontaneous reactive movement. Furthermore, it offers diverse opportunities to additionally map and analyze locomotion, postural control, and other movement domains. As indicated, results can be used to predict injuries or falls or to tailor individualized interventions, which is of great importance particularly for older people, vulnerable populations (e.g., those with chronic conditions), and athletes in sports. The requested large-scale equipment forms the central infrastructure for sustainable, internationally visible, and thematically current movement research at the Bayreuth Sports Centre. Prospectively, the system is to be additionally combined with an eight-meter-wide video wall as well as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to generate realistic and experimentally controlled action situations. Therefore, the Chair of Neuromotorics and Movement is applying for the renewal of a research large-scale instrument for investigating the biomechanics of human movements during cognitive decision-making situations under time pressure.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Bewegungsanalysesystem zur Erfassung menschlicher Bewegung (Erneuerung)
• Instrumentation Group: 3490 Sonstige medizinische Registriergeräte und Zubehör
• Applicant Institution: Universität Bayreuth
• Leader: Professor Dr. Jan Wilke