Feasibility of Markerless Motion Capture for Three-Dimensional Gait Assessment in Community Settings

Updated on:
September 8, 2026
Theia
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Summary

An excerpt from a new publication in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience validating the use of markerless motion capture as a digital biomarker.

Editor's Note: The following summary details independent academic research conducted in clinical research settings. Theia3D is an offline software solution engineered exclusively for research and human performance analysis.

Theresa E. McGuirk, Elliott S. Perry, Wandasun B. Sihanath, Sherveen Riazati and Carolynn Patten

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Purpose‍

To determine the feasibility of markerless motion capture using Theia3D for three-dimensional gait biomechanics research in community-dwelling living domains.

Methods‍

The study included 166 individuals aged 9–87 years who completed walking trials at self-selected and fastest comfortable speeds across six community locations. In a subset of 46 participants aged 13–86 years, spatiotemporal gait parameters measured using Theia3D were compared with simultaneous measurements from a pressure-sensitive walkway.

Results‍

Markerless motion capture proved feasible across six community locations. In the 46-participant comparison, all 12 spatiotemporal gait parameters showed good to excellent agreement between Theia3D and the pressure-sensitive walkway, with particularly strong similarity in cadence, walking speed, step length, step time, stride length, and stride time.

Conclusion‍

Theia3D markerless motion capture is feasible for three-dimensional gait biomechanics research in community-dwelling living domains, supporting its use in large-scale, real-world movement research.

To read the full article in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, click here.

To learn more about Theia3D, click here to book a demo.

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The moment right after a ski jumper leaves the takeoff table sets up everything that follows. Researchers from Hokusho University and Kobe University tracked 30 competitive ski jumpers, from junior to international level, using outdoor markerless motion capture to study how trunk, hip, and knee movement come together during this early flight phase. Rather than looking for one ideal technique, the team used a combination of statistical methods to ask a different question: how many distinct ways are athletes achieving the early flight transition from takeoff to stable flight, and how do they differ biomechanically?
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Theia has appointed François Asseman as Senior Sales Director, EMEA. Bringing a PhD in Movement Sciences and more than a decade of international motion capture experience, François will help strengthen Theia’s relationships with customers and partners across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
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Summary