PFI:AIR-TT: Kinect-Based Low-Cost Motion Analysis System for Medical Applications

This Accelerating Innovation Technology Translation project aims to fully develop a working prototype and optimize a state-of-the-art motion tracking algorithm that uses only a single depth camera for use with physical therapists. The algorithm was originally developed by the PI and his PhD students, supported in part by an NSF Smart Health grant. The expected outcome is a portable system that can be used everywhere to capture a patient’s lower-extremity body movement, analyze the data in real-time, and provide both quantitative and visual feedback to both the clinician and the patient. The development of these features is driven by interviews of potential customers, which was sponsored by the NSF I-CORP program. These interviews helped refine and prioritize the system research and development. Being able to demonstrate the above-stated features will be an enabling step toward the commercialization of the novel motion-tracking technology developed the PI and his team, translating bench research to a product that can potentially benefit millions of people.