“Upperlimb” is an application focused on upper extremity motion analysis, based on measurement data collected from optical marker tracking systems, e.g. from a Vicon measurement system.

It has been created for quick and easy processing of three-dimensional upper limb movement data and is offered as a graphical user interface.

It has been created to ensure maximum applicability in clinical practice and research.

The application includes advanced algorithms for joint center- and axes estimation, based on functional methods. The results of the data processing can be visualized as 3D stick figure motion and time series plots. It also integrates a motion analysis data mining tool to collect frame based parameters from the time series and is allows to export this data for external processing, e.g. by spreadsheet programs (Excel or Open/Libre-Office).

Upperlimb is a highly configurable software tool that allows to:

• anatomical landmark reconstruction and process joint kinematics
• split the captured motion data into motion cycles based on a free configurable event scheme
• determine spatiotemporal parameters for every motion cycle
• export data in different formats (d3d, MAT, PDF, CSV, XML, gla, glx)
• create reference data files from processed data

The Software has been developed from the company ORAT Software-Entwicklung <http://www.orat.de> for usage in the Gait- and motionlab at Heidelberg University clinics <http://www.heidel-motionlab.de/de/>.

It was the first application based on the Nimue platform <http://nimue-platform.motion-science.org/doku.php> - a high configurable set of modules to build up motion analysis applications.

The Upperlimb Software is developed mainly as an implementation of the Heidelber Upper extremity measurement procedure.

This includes four rigid segments represent the kinematic model of the upper limb:

1. Trunk (represented by the thorax)
2. Left and right upper arm (humerus)
3. Left and right forearm (1. Radius, 2. Ulna)

Five joints are analyzed:

1. Trunk movement (in the lab space)
2. Humero-thoracic movement
3. Shouldergirdle movement
4. Elbow

The joint attitudes are described by the following angles:

  * shoulder ab-/adduction
  * shoulder ante-/retroversion
  * shoulder internal-/external rotation (adjunct and conjunct angles)
  * shoulder girdle elevation/depression
  * shoulder girdle pro-/retraction
  * elbow flexion/extention
  * elbow pro-/supination