The computer is central to the system. It has the speed to record, calculate, measure, synchronize and store gait parameters. The array of synchronous data is very useful in the analysis of gait disorders. This unique information is immediately available and clinically useful for the clinician's assessment of pathologic gait. Kinematics is the measurement of body and joint motion.
Data collection begins with the application of light-reflecting markers to the limbs and trunk.
An array of six high-speed video cameras collects the light reflected from the markers as a child walks down a calibrated walkway. A computer captures the digital information and programs convert the points of light into 3-dimensional information. The calculation of body segment and joint motion makes the information clinically relevant. The computer displays graphs of joint angles and an animation of the child's walk. The stored numerical data, detailing the 3-dimensional motion of each joint while walking, is available for further analysis.