Development of a 3-D measuring system for upper limb movements using image processing

This paper describes a 3-D motion capture system for the quantitative evaluation of a finger-nose test using image processing. In the field of clinical medicine, qualitative and quantitative evaluation of voluntary movements is necessary for correct diagnosis of disorders. For this purpose, we have developed a 3-D measuring system with a multi-camera system. The configuration of the system is described and examples of movement data are shown for normal subjects and patients. In the finger-nose test at a fast trial speed, a discriminant analysis using Maharanobis generalized distances shows a discriminant rate of 93% between normal subjects and spinocerebellar degeneration(SCD) patients.