Researchers at the University Saarland in Germany are using body tracking technology to study how repetitive movements cause stress and injury to the human body. The aim is to help product designers create future devices that are easier on the body, whether they are keyboards, tablets, or larger devices such as touchscreen displays.

The technique relies on a suit capable of tracking the movement of the many parts of the body. A user wearing the suit is asked to perform tasks using some kind of IT equipment while cameras help record this motion in 3D. The captured data is then overlaid onto a model of the human body, from where various parameters such as the extension angles that joints take on and the stress that muscles are subject to. The technology is able to identify the particular muscle and joint groups that are particularly affected by specific movements, hopefully allowing product designers to develop solutions that avoid the extra strain on the human body.

source:University Saarland