How Usable Is Your Motion Capture System?

July 10, 2025
Theia
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Recent Posts
The Ethics & Security Standards Your Sports Tech Should Be Meeting
In this series, we’re unpacking the STRN Quality Framework — a set of 25 measurable features across five key pillars — to help researchers, clinicians, and technology buyers evaluate motion capture systems more effectively. Each post explores one pillar in depth, with practical examples, critical questions to ask, and insights on how markerless systems like Theia3D align with these industry standards.
The Validity Check Every Biomechanics Lab Should Be Running
In this series, we’re unpacking the STRN Quality Framework — a set of 25 measurable features across five key pillars — to help researchers, clinicians, and technology buyers evaluate motion capture systems more effectively. Each post explores one pillar in depth, with practical examples, critical questions to ask, and insights on how markerless systems like Theia3D align with these industry standards.
Is Your Motion Capture Data Actually Reliable?
In this series, we’re unpacking the STRN Quality Framework — a set of 25 measurable features across five key pillars — to help researchers, clinicians, and technology buyers evaluate motion capture systems more effectively. Each post explores one pillar in depth, with practical examples, critical questions to ask, and insights on how markerless systems like Theia3D align with these industry standards.

Summary

In this series, we’re unpacking the STRN Quality Framework — a set of 25 measurable features across five key pillars — to help researchers, clinicians, and technology buyers evaluate motion capture systems more effectively. Each post explores one pillar in depth, with practical examples, critical questions to ask, and insights on how markerless systems like Theia3D align with these industry standards.

How easy is your motion capture system to actually use outside of the lab?

The STRN Quality Framework doesn’t just assess accuracy or ethics. It also challenges sports technologies to deliver a user experience that’s intuitive, efficient, and accessible across real-world environments. That’s the focus of Pillar D: User Experience.

At Theia, we take this seriously. If you’re evaluating markerless systems and want clarity on what a strong UX actually looks like in practice, we’re now offering free quick consults to explore your specific needs and determine whether Theia3D is the right fit.

Want to see if Theia3D is a fit for your setup?

Book a free consult with our team. →


So what does a strong user experience actually look like in a markerless motion capture system? 

Let’s take a closer look at how Theia3D performs across the five STRN-defined features of User Experience, beginning with Usability.
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Usability

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‍STRN Definition: The extent to which a product can be learned and used by intended users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of use.

Theia3D was designed to make advanced motion capture accessible to everyone — from biomechanics labs to sports researchers, clinicians, and performance teams. While some motion capture tools require years of experience, Theia3D is designed to be learned quickly and operated confidently by users of various technical backgrounds.

What supports this?
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  • Minimal setup time: Independent studies report total session times as low as 5–10 minutes per participant.
  • Simple processing steps: From organizing data to batch analysis, each step can be completed using intuitive, built-in tools.
  • Wide hardware compatibility: Works with off-the-shelf cameras and is supported by third-party automated pipelines.
  • Training and resources: Includes live onboarding, detailed documentation, short tutorial videos, and in-app helpful links.

In controlled studies using the System Usability Scale and NASA Task Load Index, both experienced and first-time users rated Theia3D as easy to use and low in workload, even with just one hour of training. In one study, 11 participants completed 231 total trials (21 each) in just 102 minutes, averaging >2 trials per minute.
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Robustness
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‍STRN Definition: The ability of the tech to operate correctly for its intended purpose across a wide range of operational conditions, and display a reasonable life expectancy.

Theia3D is designed to run reliably across a range of hardware configurations and real-world settings. The software supports four generations of NVIDIA GPUs (dating back to 2018), and every decision is thoroughly tested by our engineering team before release.

We also actively resolve bugs and user-reported issues through fast-turnaround support and regular software updates, which helps ensure a long and stable product lifecycle. The robustness of Theia3D’s outputs in varying environments is discussed in detail in our earlier post on Pillar A: Quality Assurance & Measurement.
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Data Representation
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‍STRN Definition: The interpretability, usefulness, and attractiveness of methods used to represent information produced by the tech.

While Theia3D is primarily a data processing tool, we’ve designed multiple ways to make output more intuitive and usable:

  • Skeleton overlay videos: Raw video paired with 3D tracking for clear, contextual movement visualization.
  • In-app angle plots: Segment and joint angles can be reviewed directly in Theia3D without exporting.
  • Flexible export formats: Data can be exported in .C3D (biomechanics standard), .FBX (animation, visualization), or .JSON (machine-readable) formats.
  • Third-party integrations: Outputs integrate with Qualisys, Vicon Nexus, and analysis tools like pyomeca or Visual3D.

These options ensure that both novice users and technical experts can access, review, and communicate findings efficiently. 
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Customer Support & Training
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‍STRN Definition: The extent to which clear use guidelines are provided along with additional training and customer support.

At Theia, support isn’t handled by a generic helpdesk. Our support and onboarding team is composed of trained biomechanists with advanced degrees in engineering, and over 25 years of combined hands-on experience in research and applied motion capture.

That means when you reach out, you’re talking to people who understand your research goals, technical environment, and the motion capture challenges you’re facing.

‍Support You Can Trust 

  • All support tickets are addressed same-day, with many being resolved within the same time frame.
  • Every new customer receives 2 live onboarding sessions (totalling 90-120 minutes), plus tailored feedback on sample data.
  • Onboarding process met 100% of participants’ expectations, with an average increase in reported understanding of 122% , based on post-onboarding survey data.
  • Dozens of studies using Theia3D have launched without in-person training, because the support materials and onboarding process were enough to get researchers started.

Many of our research projects take place outside of the lab where environmental factors (e.g., sun and wind) and logistical constraints (e.g., power supply, equipment obstruction, safety netting) lead to unanticipated challenges.

Theia's customer support has helped us navigate these challenges every time - we couldn't be more pleased with their responsiveness, friendliness, professionalism, and just overall willingness to go the extra mile to ensure we get the most accurate biomechanics data possible

– Kristof Kipp, PhD (Marquette University)

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Built by Experts, Backed by Experts
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  • Biomechanist-led onboarding with guidance on hardware setup, environment optimization, and best practices.
  • Clear, practical documentation written by the same team that supports you.
  • Secure file sharing for sensitive datasets, with strict protocols around data privacy and retention.
  • Fast, knowledgeable support that stays with your ticket until it’s resolved, not just closed.

Bottom line: Support for Theia3D is fast and grounded in real biomechanics expertise, so you can feel confident that expert help is always within reach.
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Accessibility

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STRN Definition: The extent to which the tech is accessible and equitable to individuals from a range of different groups.

Accessibility matters, both in terms of who can use Theia3D and how they use it.

Here’s how we support accessibility today:

  • Visual design that meets top accessibility standards: Theia3D’s interface has been tested against WCAG Level AAA for color contrast — the highest rating available — and compatible with screen readers like NVDA.

  • Flexible learning formats: Onboarding and education are available through live training, detailed written documentation, and short tutorial videos, so users can learn in the format that works best for them.

  • Keyboard navigation: Several key operations can be completed using keyboard shortcuts, and we’re continuing to expand this functionality based on user feedback.

‍Hardware Considerations

Theia3D supports a wide range of PC configurations, including four generations of NVIDIA GPUs dating back to 2018. This gives users the flexibility to build systems that align with their performance needs and budget. As computing technology becomes more accessible, Theia3D’s reach continues to grow. 


Summary: Why UX Matters in Sports Tech


User experience isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about making sure the right people can use the technology efficiently and confidently in the real world.

Theia3D was designed with that goal in mind. Whether you’re a biomechanist, coach, or clinician, our aim is to help you capture high-quality data quickly, interpret it meaningfully, and move your work forward with minimal friction.

Want a full evaluation checklist?

‍Download the STRN Buyer’s Guide and evaluate motion capture systems across all five pillars of quality. →

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Want to see if Theia3D is a fit for your setup?

Book a free consult with our team. →
Recent Posts
The Ethics & Security Standards Your Sports Tech Should Be Meeting
In this series, we’re unpacking the STRN Quality Framework — a set of 25 measurable features across five key pillars — to help researchers, clinicians, and technology buyers evaluate motion capture systems more effectively. Each post explores one pillar in depth, with practical examples, critical questions to ask, and insights on how markerless systems like Theia3D align with these industry standards.
The Validity Check Every Biomechanics Lab Should Be Running
In this series, we’re unpacking the STRN Quality Framework — a set of 25 measurable features across five key pillars — to help researchers, clinicians, and technology buyers evaluate motion capture systems more effectively. Each post explores one pillar in depth, with practical examples, critical questions to ask, and insights on how markerless systems like Theia3D align with these industry standards.
Is Your Motion Capture Data Actually Reliable?
In this series, we’re unpacking the STRN Quality Framework — a set of 25 measurable features across five key pillars — to help researchers, clinicians, and technology buyers evaluate motion capture systems more effectively. Each post explores one pillar in depth, with practical examples, critical questions to ask, and insights on how markerless systems like Theia3D align with these industry standards.
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Summary