Biomechanics-informed inertial tracking achieves the accuracy of marker-based kinematics.

Authors

Vu Phan, Zhixiong Li, Evy Meinders, Tom Gale, William Anderst, Julian Ng-Thow-Hing, Aminreza Khandan, Eni Halilaj

Published in

Nature communications. Volume 17. Issue 1. Aug 05, 2026. Epub Aug 05, 2026.

Abstract

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) could transform human movement science by enabling motion tracking outside the laboratory. Yet, their accuracy is perceived as inferior to that of marker-based systems. Here, we introduce IMoveLab, a method that integrates biomechanical priors into state-estimation filters, harnessing coupling across degrees of freedom and the spring-like behavior of muscle-tendon units for recursive state correction. We found that modern state-estimation filters match the accuracy of marker-based knee tracking when evaluated against biplane radiography, the gold standard for skeletal motion. IMoveLab further improves accuracy and achieves drift-free lower-extremity kinematics in long-duration trials, whereas alternative approaches do not. Movement scientists have been anticipating the leap out of the laboratory with cautious optimism. With methods and evidence that support more confident adoption of IMUs, this leap seems less like an aspiration and more like the first line of a new chapter written in the environments where human movement unfolds.

PMID:
42562830
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 07 Aug 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.