Visualizing Human Motion Capture Data with D3.JS

Using the MVIZ repository

Image by Omid Alemia from mviz

Introduction

Motion capture technology is a staple of blockbuster films. You may have seen A-listers like Brad Pitt or Jennifer Laurence in behind-the-scenes bonus features dressed in what looks like spandex suits covered in ping-pong balls. Those small spheres are actually reflective markers, which are tracked by infrared cameras during an actor’s/actress’ performance. The data from those cameras is then used by Hollywood visual effects artists to give computer-generated characters realistic movement.

That very same technology is being used by hospitals to analyze the movements of patients with mobility-limiting conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and cerebral palsy. Physicians, physical therapists, scientists, and engineers collaborate together to use the data from the motion capture system to make treatment recommendations.

To gain these critical insights, data visualization is an important component of the process. As a researcher with experience behind the scenes with motion capture data, I was hoping to find a way to create an accessible form of data visualization that could summarize this kind of data and provide an avenue for the public to better understand motion capture and treatment decisions. This led me to the work of…