Modeling a wearable full-body motion capture system

This paper describes a feasibility study for a self-contained, wearable full-body motion capture system based on time-of-flight measurements that provide absolute distances between points on the body. Our motivation for the system is to allow an e-textile garment to sense its own shape using only body-worn sensors, thereby enabling it to dynamically adapt its sensing and processing elements to the user´s current pose. Furthermore, a garment that can sense its own shape would enable an untethered and self-contained motion capture system. We explore the potential accuracy of the system via simulation driven by motion data from several users performing various activities, including effects such as the number and placement of sensors on the torso, shadowing of signal transmission by the body, and sensor directionality. We conclude that the system is feasible, albeit with an accuracy that is at least an order of magnitude less than state-of-the-art laboratory systems, and that its accuracy will depend heavily upon the transmission properties of the sensors.