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Gait Analysis
Primate Locomotion
In the Functional Morphology and Primate Locomotion Laboratory at Stony Brook University, one of the world's leading institutions for the study of anthropological morphology, a research team led by Dr. Brigitte Demes studies the bipedal gait of chimpanzees. Since humans and chimps share a common ancestor, her research also informs conclusions about the evolution of human posture and gait.The researchers at Stony Brook record 3-D kinematic video using the Xcitex ProCapture motion capture system with video and data options, ProAnalyst 3-D Professional Edition, and a custom-built 3-D calibration fixture in their laboratories. A chimpanzee walks along a specially constructed runway. Embedded within the runway are very sensitive force plates that record the pressure placed by the primate's feet as a function of body position and time. ProCapture captures the action from four different viewpoints and automatically synchronizes the video with the force plate data to create a multi-dimensional model of the walking motion. Electromyographic (EMG) data are captured wirelessly through a telemetry system and synchronized with video recordings of the subject's behavior.
Later, the videos and data are analyzed with ProAnalyst motion analysis software and the results melded to created a full 3-D reconstruction of the chimp's gait with quantifying motion analysis data and synchronized force plate data. This data has been presented for review at the annual Society of Integrated Biology conference for many years to great acclaim.
Learn more: http://www.anat.stonybrook.edu/facilities/primatelab
Image Source: Stony Brook Primate Locomotion Lab