Real-Time Biomechanical Analysis of Human Movement with Wearable Sensors and Musculoskeletal Modelling

Motion analysis is widely used in medicine, ergonomics, and sports science, but traditional motion capture (MoCap) systems are expensive and limited to laboratory settings. Wearable sensors offer a more accessible alternative for capturing movement in everyday life, but no existing system enables accurate, real-time estimation of joint kinematics and kinetics. This project aimed to validate a wearable sensor system that combines inertial measurement units (IMUs), pressure insoles, and musculoskeletal modelling for real-time estimation of hip, knee, and ankle joint angles and moments. Data were collected from three participants using the wearable system and a laboratory-based MoCap system, which served as a reference, during static, dynamic, and walking tasks. Real-time estimates from the wearable system were then compared to offline MoCap outputs. The results showed good overall agreement for joint angles and ankle moments, while larger errors were observed for hip and knee moments. While further validation is needed, the findings suggest that the system has potential for real-time biomechanical analysis outside the laboratory.