Open Data Motion Capture: MOCAP-ULL Database☆

MOtion CAPture - abbreviated to MoCap- is the process of image dissection (the static reproduction of different moments of the movement being captured) that enables us to analyse and study any movement. The term also covers all digital capture and storage technologies used to record humans or other objects whilst in motion. It is regularly used in the entertainment industry, i.e. the film and video game industries, but it has also proven incredibly useful in medical diagnostic testing, the analysis of machine prototypes, and in the testing of product ergonomic design. Any study aimed at developing MOCAP theory and protocols should be dealt with from an interdisciplinary perspective, taking into account the need for a) workspaces that adhere to precise and specific design features, b) specialist high-quality creative software, and c) researchers who possess a thorough understanding of the human body - or of the object under study - in order to be able to interrelate the data obtained; in other words, the researchers need to be able to know what to look for and where to look for it. The University of La Laguna meets all of the aforementioned criteria, therefore it was agreed that a study should be performed to explore how MoCap equipment and technology could be used within the field of Mechanical Engineering. The goal of this study includes: studying all aspects of MoCap; establishing protocol for the calibration of equipment, its fine tuning, and for data interpretation; creating a User Guide for the MoCap equipment in question; and finally creating a motion capture database [MOCAP_ULL] containing all of the movements captured during the MOCAP-ULL study. This database will be shared via the web in the hope that the motions captured can be of use to other researches, and that the data can be extrapolated to the fields of Biomechanics and Robotics. The overall objective of this study, in other words, is to establish state of the art motion capture technology and protocols as demonstrated in Mechanical Engineering, but furthermore, to demonstrate the University of La Laguna's expertise in this area.