A project based on motion capture, method for digital recording of movements
2 February 2017 - Measure the behavior of the pulmonary system with an alternative technique to that of spirometry, an instrument used conventionally. It is what has been studied since doctoral student UCBM Carlo Massaroni and developed in an experiment carried out at the University of Kent in Great Britain with the support ofInternational Travel Grant, financing of International Society of Biomechanics to the project “MoCBA - Motion Capture for Breathing Assessment”.
89 photo reflective markers on rib cage
At the heart of the project is the recruitment of fifteen cyclists who have agreed to undergo the particular diagnostic test devised by the researcher and linked to a model for calculating lung volumes according to three-dimensional coordinates. Specifically, a optoelectronic system comprised of 89 reflective photo markers placed in as many 89 anatomical points of the rib cage. These, illuminated by infrared cameras through a stroboscopic light, have traced the movements of the rib cage allowing to obtain rather accurate information on breathing and respiratory mechanics.
The study of respiratory dysfunctions in athletes
“Trials have shown that there are conditions for the development of a non-invasive diagnostic method – comments the engineer. It could be useful especially for those athletes who suffer from respiratory dysfunction often related to poor posture. For this, we performed the test in different conditions of posture and effort, also studying how the compartments of the chest and abdomen affect the performance of the cyclist at high intensity”.
The prize of the European Society of Biomechanics
Thanks to the work conducted under the supervision of prof. Sergio Silvestri, head of the Biomedical Measurements and Instrumentation Research Unit, Massaroni was also awarded at the twenty-second Congress of the European Society of Biomechanics. Double recognition therefore for the researcher who in this case he was awarded an additional travel awards in support of his research project.
