The Biomechanics Laboratory makes quantitative information concerning human motion available to clinicians and researchers at the NIH. The BEIP has upgraded Dr. Stanhope's Vicon Motion and Image Analysis System by designing and fabricating six video-camera units, each with a variable intensity dual-wavelength infrared strobe. The upgrade solved many of the original Vicon system's problems, but fast motion analysis is still limited by the system's slow frame rate of 25 frames per second. The Biomechanics Laboratory requires a system to take data at 2000 frames per second. To satisfy this requirement, Dr. Stanhope requested that the BEIP develop a three-dimensional motion measurement system, using a novel idea patented by Dr. Andrew Dainis. The terms of the CRADA state that the NIH will develop a clinical operating 3-D motion analysis system; in return, the NIH will keep the system. Dr. Dainis will have all rights to the BEIP's part of the design. In this venture with the Biomechanics Laboratory and Dr. Dainis, the BEIP will develop, fabricate, and test the system electronics. Dr. Dainis will develop the optics for the CCD linear arrays and the system software. The idea of the patent is that each camera will have four linear CCD arrays, with each array having a specially designed lens. The arrays are placed on the face of the camera in a special pattern to translate a light source from a target into its spatial coordinates.
