Gait/Motion Analysis Laboratory
The Gait/Motion Analysis Laboratory at Seton Hall University is part of the School of Health and Medical Sciences. The Lab serves researchers and students across several of the School's disciplines, including Movement Science, Physical Therapy and Athletic Training.
Located on the ground floor of the Interprofessional Health Sciences Campus in Nutley, the over 2,500 sq. ft facility is divided into the north and south lab spaces and is utilized for teaching and research involving all levels of education; undergraduate through post-doctoral. The Lab is fully equipped with the most up-to-date equipment, allowing for the ability to study all aspects of human movement. 3D motion analysis, EMG, Force and Gait are the four major areas of focus.
Featured in the Gait/Motion Analysis Lab’s 700 square foot north capture space is the first of two full, 1000Hz Vicon camera arrays. The 8 infrared motion capture cameras are synced with the latest version of the Nexus 2 software package installed on two of work stations in the lab space. To add flexibility to this capture space, 5 of the cameras are mounted on tripods while the other 3 are mounted to the walls and ceiling. These motion capture cameras are able to record dynamic movements like baseball pitching, jumping and landing, and running and allow for 3-dimensional motion analysis of joint angles, velocity, acceleration, center of mass and linear distance. Additionally, this system is easily paired with the Bertec forceplates or Bertec instrumented split belt treadmill to allow for acquisition and analysis of most kinetic variables associated with the 3D kinematic data. The Delsys Trigno wireless EMG sensors are also able to be paired with the Vicon motion capture system which allows acquisition and analysis of a robust EMG dataset. Data can be analyzed using Vicon Nexus or can easily be exported to a c3d file for analysis in Visual3D. A lift is available to assist mobility impaired clients to the Bertec instrumented treadmill. Unweighting harnesses can be attached to the treadmill to assist the mobility impaired clients in gait studies.
Running in Nexus
The massive 1800 square foot south capture space allows for the ability to acquire data on a mulititude of dynamic movements. The 8 motion capture cameras surround a large capture volume. Six of the cameras are mounted on the walls or ceiling which keeps the floors free of cords. Similar to the North capture space, Bertec forceplates and Delsys Trigno wireless EMG are also paired with the Vicon motion capture system. A large runway (30ft long x 4ft wide) is able to be constructed around the forceplates for gait studies. Various forceplate configurations are easily made to achieve the desired placements for the selected movement to be studied. The NxStep unweighing system by Biodex and the LiteGait unweighing system are easily used with mobility impaired clients over the GaitRite for gait studies.
Pitching in Nexus
Scholarship Activities
Faculty and students in the School’s doctoral and master’s degree programs frequently publish and present their studies and findings in scholarly journals and at local, national and international research symposia.
Scholars
The student and faculty researchers within the School of Health and Medical Sciences foster a productive and scholarly environment within the Gait/Motion Analysis Laboratory.
Equipment
The Lab uses state-of-the-art equipment to conduct research, collect and analyze data and report results.
Mission
The mission of the Gait/Motion Analysis Laboratory is to support teaching and research efforts to further the conceptual understanding and development in both the human performance (sport) and clinical sides of human motion and all related components. The Lab is committed to serving the students and faculty of Seton Hall University, as well as the local and global scientific communities.
