PALO ALTO, CA — Xsens (www.xsens.com), a supplier of 3D motion tracking systems, recently teamed with the Rothschild Fund to complete 3D motion capture of a free-moving horse. The capture was performed using an advanced prototype system developed by Xsens that enables 3D motion capture of equine locomotion in real-world conditions.
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The system uses inertial sensors located on the horse’s body and GPS to track full-body motion in any environment. This allows for the horse’s innate, voluntary movements to be recorded and viewed on a standard PC in realtime.
The aim of the project was to push the boundaries of Xsens’ MVN inertial motion capture technology. The Rothschild Fund provided the equine biomechanical models, equine knowledge, and the horses. Members of Xsens’ R&D Team and the Rothschild Fund performed the 3D inertial motion capture of a horse's gallop in Woodside, CA.
The MVN Equine prototype will be used by the Rothschild Fund to further current understanding of horses. It was recently presented to peers at the International Society of Biomechanics Equine SIG in Brussels in July. The technology could potentially be used to animate equine computer characters for visual effects in a large film production without the need to bring horses into a motion capture studio.