Using the Microsoft Kinect™ to assess 3-D shoulder kinematics during computer use

Shoulder joint kinematics has been used as a representative indicator to investigate musculoskeletal symptoms among computer users for office ergonomics studies. The traditional measurement of shoulder kinematics normally requires a laboratory-based motion tracking system which limits the field studies. In the current study, a portable, low cost, and marker-less Microsoft Kinect™ sensor was examined for its feasibility on shoulder kinematics measurement during computer tasks. Eleven healthy participants performed a standardized computer task, and their shoulder kinematics data were measured by a Kinect sensor and a motion tracking system concurrently. The results indicated that placing the Kinect sensor in front of the participants would yielded a more accurate shoulder kinematics measurements then placing the Kinect sensor 15° or 30° to one side. The results also showed that the Kinect sensor had a better estimate on shoulder flexion/extension, compared with shoulder adduction/abduction and shoulder axial rotation. The RMSE of front-placed Kinect sensor on shoulder flexion/extension was less than 10° for both the right and the left shoulder. The measurement error of the front-placed Kinect sensor on the shoulder adduction/abduction was approximately 10° to 15°, and the magnitude of error is proportional to the magnitude of that joint angle. After the calibration, the RMSE on shoulder adduction/abduction were less than 10° based on an independent dataset of 5 additional participants. For shoulder axial rotation, the RMSE of front-placed Kinect sensor ranged between approximately 15° to 30°. The results of the study suggest that the Kinect sensor can provide some insight on shoulder kinematics for improving office ergonomics.