Motion Tracking

Industrial robotics: Less expensive, faster, more flexible and more “intelligent” industrial robots are always needed. Inertial measurement units in the robot hands would make weaker robots with better “feeling” possible, by enabling the robot to feel the resistance of the work piece like a human does when working with a tool.

Humanoid robots: IMUs will be needed to control movement. In Japan particularly there are great efforts to develop humanoid robots.

Rehabilitation: Measuring, controlling and correcting motion and performance are keys to rehabilitation. Today this market is dominated by cameras but doctors are beginning to understand that results are much better if the whole procedure can move out of the lab and into a more natural environment. Further, the connection between work/force by muscles/skeleton and accelerations (F = m*a) may be more useful than the connection with positions. Cameras are all but useless for measuring accelerations.

Computer games: More sophisticated input devices are always popular. INS measures accelerations and velocities much better than other sensors. This is excellent input data for interactive games where things are thrown (baseball, basketball, football, etc) or where any kind of motion needs to be transferred to the computer and screen.

Ubiquitous control of environment: In the future hand and body motion will replace keyboards for controlling the surroundings. One simple example is a light that turns on when hands are clapped. INS will add enormous sophistication to this market.

Sporting goods: Shoes and apparel will be more and more “intelligent” in the future and sensors will become a sought after means of distinguishing a brand from its competitors.

Athletic performance: Sensor systems keep increasing in importance as training aids (golf, tennis, etc.) and as aids to judges in competitions. One example is the photocells that measure swimmers’ dives and long jumpers’ kick offs. Sensors also help tennis referees, among others.

Sports viewing: Sensors are also increasingly used to enhance the experience of sports viewing. Future athletes will be equipped with INS to bring more of the excitement to the viewer. Examples are the cameras mounted inside race cars that give the viewer the thrill of high-performance driving, microphones all around a tennis court, and sensors in hockey pucks that enable detection of a hidden puck.

Virtual reality: IMUs will be used as the main input device in professional virtual reality set-ups instead of cameras.