The challenges of high-speed video
Adding and maintaining support for multiple high-speed video cameras is one of the harder problems a software company like ours faces. The high demands on microprocessors, the need for precision timing, the variety of camera interfaces and their continual evolution, and the desirability of keeping processing delays to a minimum – all of these contribute to the difficulty of integrating high-speed cameras into a motion capture system. But as motion capture technology increasingly transitions to non-instrumented, video-based solutions, being able to support these cameras is essential.
Fortunately, new solutions are coming onto the market. One of the most promising of these is a GPU-based software library that has been released by the German software company CONTEMPLAS GmbH. Starting this year, IST will be partnering with CONTEMPLAS to integrate their video capture and image processing technology to expand the range of cameras The MotionMonitor can support and the markets it can pursue.
Using CONTEMPLAS to enhance our existing markerless technologies
Back in May of 2022, The MotionMonitor announced the introduction of its markerless tracking technology for capturing human motion. It featured seamless workflows including setup; video capture; extraction of kinematic data using AI from SwRI’s Enable, Theia, or KinaTrax; and high-end analysis and visualization. However, it was limited to collection from one family of Basler cameras. With the integration of CONTEMPLAS’ technology, it will allow use of USB and Ethernet cameras with higher measurement rates and image resolutions.
“This is an exciting expansion of our system,” stated our president, Mona Bhuta. “The vision of The MotionMonitor Team is always to provide a total solution. The broad range of cameras the CONTEMPLAS integration permits means we can support installations with existing cameras, applications like golf or baseball that require high measurement rates, and measurement volumes that range in size from treadmill stations to basketball courts. This integration will greatly expand our market reach.”
About CONTEMPLAS GmbH
CONTEMPLAS was founded in 2005 and acquired by Vicon in 2021. With over 4,000 licenses operating in 30 countries, the company is known for its performance in developing video-based motion analysis systems as well as for professional expertise in the planning and implementation of analysis laboratories.