Is Markerless Motion Capture Portable?

November 9, 2023
Theia
BIO
Recent Posts
A Major Research Milestone for Theia3D
More than 50 independent, peer-reviewed research publications now cite, evaluate or review Theia3D across domains including gait, sports performance, postural control, upper-extremity movement and other biomechanics applications. These publications are available in world-leading journals including Journal of Biomechanics, Journal of Applied Biomechanics, Gait & Posture and Clinical Biomechanics. Together, they represent a growing body of evidence across different movements, populations and environments, reinforcing Theia3D’s position as the most extensively validated markerless motion capture system.
Beyond The Radar Gun: How Dean Jackson uses Theia3D For Incremental Velocity Analysis
This article is a first in a miniseries that breaks down what motion capture can show beyond radar, ball data, and standard video. In this first installment, Dean breaks down how he uses Incremental Velocity Analysis, or IVA, to study what changes biomechanically as pitchers move closer and closer to max output.
New Research on Theia3D: Comparing Markerless and Marker-Based Shoulder Kinematics Across Full Arm Range of Motion
A 2025 study published in the Journal of Biomechanics compared shoulder kinematics measured with Theia3D markerless motion capture against gold-standard marker-based motion capture across full arm ranges of motion. The results show strong agreement for many movements, particularly in the coronal plane, while also highlighting where caution is still required, especially at the extremes of ranges of motion and in transverse-plane rotations.

Summary

In this blog post we interview support engineer Rob Kanko and get his insight on the portability of markerless motion capture!

Is Markerless Motion Capture Portable?

One of the most common questions we hear from research teams and performance labs evaluating Theia3D is: can you actually take this system into the field?

The short answer is yes. But portability means different things in different contexts, so this post unpacks what field deployment with Theia3D actually looks like in practice — and what it requires.

What Portability Means for Markerless Motion Capture

Unlike traditional marker-based systems that are tightly coupled to infrared camera arrays and controlled lab environments, Theia3D works with standard synchronized RGB video cameras. This means the system can be deployed wherever cameras can be physically mounted and connected.

Research teams have successfully used Theia3D in:

  • Outdoor athletics tracks and sports fields
  • Gymnastics facilities and ice rinks
  • Batting cages and baseball stadiums
  • Community research settings and sports medicine research sites
  • Occupational environments for workplace biomechanics research

What Field Deployment Requires

Portability isn’t free — it requires planning. The key requirements for field-based Theia3D deployment are:

  • Synchronized cameras: At least 6 cameras (8+ recommended) with hardware synchronization and adequate resolution
  • Calibration: A calibration sequence must be performed in each new environment
  • Lighting: Adequate, consistent lighting for the cameras to capture clear video
  • Processing hardware: A computer with a supported NVIDIA GPU for post-processing (processing does not need to happen on-site)

Camera systems from Qualisys, Vicon, and other vendors can be used, provided they meet Theia3D’s synchronization and resolution requirements. Many research teams use transportable camera setups on rolling tripods or mounted on lightweight structures.

Practical Portability in Action

Peer-reviewed studies using Theia3D in field environments include baseball pitching and batting research at MLB venues, community-based gait biomechanics research in older adults, pediatric movement research in school and community settings, and occupational biomechanics research in workplace environments.

The system’s software processes data locally and never transmits video to external servers, which is important for research teams working with sensitive participant data in community settings.

Contact us to discuss field deployment options for your specific research environment.

Recent Posts
A Major Research Milestone for Theia3D
More than 50 independent, peer-reviewed research publications now cite, evaluate or review Theia3D across domains including gait, sports performance, postural control, upper-extremity movement and other biomechanics applications. These publications are available in world-leading journals including Journal of Biomechanics, Journal of Applied Biomechanics, Gait & Posture and Clinical Biomechanics. Together, they represent a growing body of evidence across different movements, populations and environments, reinforcing Theia3D’s position as the most extensively validated markerless motion capture system.
Beyond The Radar Gun: How Dean Jackson uses Theia3D For Incremental Velocity Analysis
This article is a first in a miniseries that breaks down what motion capture can show beyond radar, ball data, and standard video. In this first installment, Dean breaks down how he uses Incremental Velocity Analysis, or IVA, to study what changes biomechanically as pitchers move closer and closer to max output.
New Research on Theia3D: Comparing Markerless and Marker-Based Shoulder Kinematics Across Full Arm Range of Motion
A 2025 study published in the Journal of Biomechanics compared shoulder kinematics measured with Theia3D markerless motion capture against gold-standard marker-based motion capture across full arm ranges of motion. The results show strong agreement for many movements, particularly in the coronal plane, while also highlighting where caution is still required, especially at the extremes of ranges of motion and in transverse-plane rotations.
In this blog
Summary