W
Why use BoB?
Motion from
optical tracking
Motion from
IMU sensors
Motion from
videos
Short learning curve
Low price
Many languages including
Chinese, Spanish, French
Complete data exchange with MATLAB
User editable skeleton and muscle models
Default muscle model contains over 600 locomotor muscle units
Displays synchronised videos
Extensive graphics features
User defined MATLAB graphics
Large library of instructional videos
Output of tabulated data, graphs, images and videos
Batch processing for large data sets
Display of joint ranges of motion
Display of anatomical trajectories
User defined functions
Calculation of joint torques
Calculation of ground reaction forces
First person viewpoint
Angular velocity and acceleration
Import STL objects
Location of centre of mass
Calculation of muscle forces
Analyse and display multiple subjects
Variant specifically for teaching
[BoB/Teaching]
Variant specifically for ergonomics
[BoB/Ergo]
Variant specifically for EMG
[BoB/EMG]
Optical motion capture:
BoB acquires movement from optical motion tracking equipment (eg Vicon, Qualisys, BTS, OptiTrack) via the C3D file format using Plug-In-Gait marker set.
IMU motion capture:
BoB contains interfaces to read motion from IMU based motion capture systems (eg Xsens, Perception Neuron, Rokoko) and any source that generates BVH files with appropriate co-ordinate system.
Markerless motion capture:
BoB has an interface to the Move.ai and RADiCAL markerless motion capture systems enabling biomechanical analysis using a cell phone or from a video for retrospective analysis.
Trajectories:
The 3-dimensional trajectories of any point on the body can be displayed. The colour change along the trajectory indicates the speed at that position.
Muscle forces:
BoB can calculate the muscle force distribution within the body. In the video, the more red the muscle, the harder it is working.
Muscle labelling:
BoB can label all of the 600 muscles in the muscle model for easy identification. BoB can plot muscle related data including length, contraction velocity, energy dissipation, power consumption and force.
Joint torques:
BoB uses inverse dynamics to calculate the torques at all of the joints in the body.
Ranges of motion:
BoB can display the ranges of motion through which the joint move during a trial or a subset of the trial. The joint angles are reported in a form with physical significance, eg adduction/abduction, extension/flexion. BoB also indicates the proportion of the time a joint spends at a particular angle; the joint spends most of the time in the sections coloured in red and the least in the green sections.
MATLAB compatibility:
BoB is developed in the MATLAB environment and hence data and functionality can be shared between BoB and MATLAB.
First person viewpoint:
BoB can display the first persion point of view.
Instances:
Movement can be studied by creating instances at discrete times or at regular spacings.
Velocity vectors:
The velocity vector of any point on the body can be displayed. The velocity vector indicates the speed and direction of motion of the point.
Angular velocity / acceleration / momentum:
BoB can calculate and display angular velocities, accelerations and momenta across the body.
User graphics:
BoB can read STL files to incorporate graphical objects into the workspace.
User editing:
BoB users can edit the subject’s skeletal and muscle models. This includes overall height / mass or individual segment dimensions and inertial properties. The user can also add, modify and delete any muscle in the body’s musculature.
Multiple subjects:
BoB can analyse and display an unlimited number of subjects.
Forceplate integration:
BoB can read ground reaction forces measured by forceplates from C3D files.
Calculated ground reaction forces:
BoB can calculate the ground reaction forces between the feet and the ground in the absence of forceplates which means the whole of the capture area can behave as a very large forceplate. In the video, the calculated ground reaction forces are shown as yellow arrows.
Relative motion:
BoB can attach a virtual camera to any segment of the body; this aids in observing relative motion between the segments. A virtual camera is attached to the thorax in the video on the right which therefore appears stationary.
Local co-ordinate systems:
BoB can display the segmental and joint local co-ordinate systems across the body.
Part-body analysis and display:
BoB can analyse and display any subset of the whole body so full body motion capture is not required.
Plots of distances and angles:
The distance between any two locations and the angle between any three locations on the body can be plotted. The locations are selected by the user on each segment. In this video the red line shows the angle between the right hand, the nose and the left hand. The yellow line shows the distance between the hip (left ASIS) and the left big toe. The distances and angles are plotted on the right.
External forces:
BoB can apply external forces to any body segment in terms of location, magnitude and direction. In the video to the right, external forces are applied to the hands and shown as yellow arrows.
Joint contact forces:
BoB can calculate force acting at a joint, including the force in the muscles which cross the joint. In the video, the joint contact force at the elbow is indicated by the double arrow indicating the force’s magnitude and direction.
Calculate a range of ergonomic performance metrics (with BoB/Ergo):
BoB/Ergo calculates REBA/RULA, NIOSH, ISO and other ergonomic standards together with biomechanical factors relevant to ergonomic assessments including cumulative loading and torques.
Integrate motion and EMG signals (with BoB/EMG):
BoB/EMG provides an environment which can integrate biomechanical analysis and EMG measurement. In the video to the right, the muscles are colour coded based on the rectified EMG signal.
Synchronised videos:
BoB can display video synchronized to biomechanical analysis.
Bi-variant plots:
BoB can plot any variable against any other variable on a bi-variant plot. In the plot, the right shoulder and elbow angles are being plotted against the racket speed.
Output forms:
BoB can output all of its results as 3-dimensional graphics, numeric results as graphs (including bi-variant graphs of variable versus variable), tabulated data in a file suitable for additional processing (.csv), images (.jpg, .bmp, .tiff) and videos (.avi, .mp4).