The Challenge

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Motusi, a leader in performance insights for physical therapy, performance training, and occupational health and safety, approached SLIDEFACTORY with a bold vision during the early, uncertain days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their goal was to bring advanced motion capture and analysis directly to professionals in any environment—whether in the clinic, gym, home, or the field—through their engineered athletic wear and movement analysis platform. This system would generate deep insights into movement quality, injury prevention, and performance using AI and proprietary algorithms.

However, Motusi faced significant challenges in bringing this vision to life, as the complexity of the project raised concerns about its feasibility. Their challenge to SLIDEFACTORY was to create a seamless system that could translate raw quaternion-based rotational data into smooth, lifelike humanoid motion within a Unity3D mobile application. Additionally, we needed to integrate this Unity-based motion viewer with the React Native application driving the user interface.

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Overcoming the Hurdles

Developing a cutting-edge motion capture system for Motusi presented several key challenges:

• Working with Evolving Sensor Technology: The raw sensors used to collect movement data were still being developed and presented unpredictable quirks, including random recalibration of alignment. These issues had to be managed in real-time, as the sensor technology evolved during development.
• Quaternion Data Translation: Translating raw quaternion data into 3D movements required mapping this data accurately to ensure fluid and lifelike humanoid motion.
• Unity3D and React Native Integration: We needed to ensure the seamless integration of Unity3D for visualizing the 3D avatar, with React Native driving the application itself.
• Advanced Motion Capture Anywhere: The system needed to work in various environments—whether in the gym, clinic, or field—providing professionals with precise movement insights anytime, anywhere.

These challenges required close collaboration between SLIDEFACTORY and Motusi, innovative problem-solving, and constant iteration.

The Solution

SLIDEFACTORY worked hand-in-hand with Motusi to create a sophisticated motion capture solution, using Unity3D for motion visualization and integrating it with a React Native app for user interaction. This system allows professionals to analyze athletes’ or patients’ movement in real-time, providing insights into performance and recovery.

Key aspects of the solution include:

• Advanced Motion Insights: The system not only captured human motion but, through Motusi's AI and proprietary algorithms, generated deep insights into movement quality and injury risk.
• Custom Inverse Kinematic Rig: We developed a highly accurate skeletal rig in Unity3D that processed quaternion data into smooth, lifelike motion.
• 3D Avatar Visualization: The Motusi app allowed professionals and athletes to visualize their movements through a custom 3D avatar, immersing them in the insights that help track progress in performance or recovery.

Seamless Unity3D-React Native Integration: We overcame the challenge of combining Unity3D and React Native into a single functional system, allowing for smooth visualization of the 3D avatar alongside the application interface.

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Collaboration with Motusi

The collaboration between SLIDEFACTORY and Motusi began right after the initial COVID-19 lockdown, with the project initially seeming like an impossible task. Having faced challenges with previous teams, Motusi needed a partner capable of innovating under pressure. We worked directly with the hardware developers, problem-solving in real-time to ensure the evolving sensor technology functioned as needed.

The system was built from the ground up, starting with simple tests to track sensor rotations, then building more complex kinematic chains, and eventually a fully functional full-body system. We built visual models to map sensor rotations and limb alignment, testing with physical models and early sensor versions to refine the system iteratively.

‍The Results

The outcome of this partnership was a groundbreaking motion capture system that provided professionals with detailed, actionable insights into human movement, empowering them to engage with athletes and patients more effectively.

• Advanced Motion Capture and Insights: We developed a motion capture system that translates raw data into lifelike humanoid motion, enabling real-time insights into movement quality and injury risks through integration with external AI systems.
• Seamless Unity3D and React Native Integration: The Unity3D avatar viewer was successfully integrated with the React Native app, allowing users to interact with real-time motion data and insights.
• Custom Avatar Functionality: A 3D avatar was developed to visualize human movement in real-time, immersing athletes and professionals in detailed performance feedback.
• Train Anywhere: The system supports Motusi’s vision of providing motion analysis anywhere, anytime, whether in the clinic, gym, or field, bringing lab-quality insights directly to the field.

Conclusion

SLIDEFACTORY’s collaboration with Motusi resulted in a state-of-the-art motion capture solution that has redefined how professionals in physical therapy, performance training, and occupational health and safety visualize and analyze human movement. The initial engagement led to the development of a working prototype, and our partnership continued as we worked closely with the Motusi team to evolve and optimize the solution over the following years. We continuously refined the avatar system, integrated real-time motion feedback, and adapted the platform to emerging technologies. Throughout this ongoing collaboration, we also helped Motusi test and explore new applications for the system, ensuring it remained adaptable and relevant to their evolving needs. Our technology is still actively in use today, empowering professionals to gain deeper insights into movement quality and injury prevention, while supporting Motusi's innovation in motion analysis.

The platform’s ability to translate raw quaternion data into smooth, lifelike humanoid motion—combined with the seamless integration of Unity3D and React Native—represents a technical achievement that bridges the gap between motion analysis and intuitive user interfaces. SLIDEFACTORY’s hands-on collaboration with Motusi, including extensive work with raw sensor technology and iterative testing, has ensured that the system provides accurate, actionable insights for professionals and athletes alike.

By creating a scalable, adaptable platform, SLIDEFACTORY helped Motusi bring lab-quality motion insights directly into the field, empowering professionals to make data-driven decisions in any environment. The platform’s success lies not only in its technical capabilities but also in the ongoing partnership that has allowed us to continuously improve and expand its features, from customizable avatars to enhanced 3D visualizations.

As Motusi continues to evolve the landscape of motion capture and performance analysis, SLIDEFACTORY remains committed to supporting the platform to meet new challenges and opportunities. Together, we have set new standards in motion analysis, equipping professionals with the tools they need to drive performance and recovery forward.