Purdue-related startup develops low-cost, easy-to-use app to help clinicians collect, analyze human movement data

Samuel Pontecorvo of Humotus LLC, uses the company's application that combines the capabilities of its software interface with Microsoft Kinect, a motion sensor add-on for the X-Box One console, to capture human movement data of a subject. The system could provide clinicians with more comprehensive, quantitative information regarding a patient's prognosis. (Purdue Research Foundation image) Download image

WEST LAFAYETTE and INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A Purdue-related startup has developed a low-cost, easy-to-use, software application that is able to capture human movement, providing clinicians such as physical therapists more comprehensive and quantitative information regarding a patient's prognosis.

The technology also has educational potential for exposing students to motion capture technology and quantitative assessments of human movement at both the undergraduate and professional levels.

Humotus LLC, which formed its name by combining the first two letters of human and the Latin word motus, meaning movement, has developed an app that combines the capabilities of the company's software interface with Microsoft Kinect, a motion sensor add-on for the X-Box One console, which can be used with any Windows PC supporting USB 3.0.

The company was co-founded by Samuel Pontecorvo, who has a master's degree from Purdue's Department of Health and Kinesiology, and Joshua Liddy and Jeff Haddad, a doctoral student and an associate professor, respectively, in the Department of Health and Kinesiology.

Liddy said current research-grade movement technologies are expensive, generally nonportable, and post-processing can be labor intensive.

"There are a variety of technologies out there that track body movement, ranging from the goniometers used in physical therapy clinics to the motion capture systems that you see in video games and movies. However, high-end devices, which provide the most accurate and reliable data, are often bulky and expensive. Because of their size patients are required to visit the lab or clinic to be assessed," he said. "Clinicians are more likely to utilize low-tech assessments, like goniometers, to monitor patient progress in clinical settings because they can be performed quickly and provide reasonably accurate results. In the few clinics that opt to incorporate video-based technologies, body movements must be manually tracked frame-by-frame, which can take a lot of time and effort."

Humotus' application, called Kinectomatics, utilizes technological advancements made in the realms of computer vision, motion capture and active gaming technology. These advancements provide clinicians, researchers and students with increased device portability, a more naturalistic setting to analyze patients, and automation when tracking body movements.

"Our application has the potential to improve the quality of monitoring human movement in clinical settings, thereby enhancing the tools and techniques available to practicing clinicians," Pontecorvo said. "Students will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience collecting and analyzing human data more common to what they would encounter as a health care professional. We are developing interactive modules within the app, which will also be especially helpful for students."

Humotus licensed the innovation through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization. The company also is a member of the Purdue Startup Class of 2016. Purdue has 27 startups based on Purdue intellectual property that were launched in the 2016 fiscal year. A video about Humotus can be found at https://youtu.be/76zwlCSUSmI.

Humotus' application allows users to automatically track the body movements of up to six individuals at once. Users can select from a list of 25 anatomical landmarks allowing them to tailor the application to their needs.

"Our interface was designed to be available to a variety of users who have access to a Windows PC and can efficiently handle the high volume of data being captured by the Kinect," Pontecorvo said. "Users can download our app to their device, plug-in the Kinect, and it will automatically track and export body movements, allowing clinicians or researchers to quickly and easily collect the data they need."

Liddy said Humotus' main focus is on the technology's benefits to clinicians.

"Clinicians such as physical therapists and other health care professionals are moving toward a more evidence-based practice, that is, integrating the clinician's expertise with findings from scientific research to provide the best possible outcomes for patients," he said. "Human movement research utilizes higher-end technologies that are simply unavailable to or inconvenient for clinicians. We are trying to bridge the gap between their needs of efficiency and portability, and the accuracy and reliability of research-grade technology. Clinicians can utilize this information along with their intuition and professional training to make the best possible decision regarding treatment."

Humotus' next steps involve comparing the company's product with conventional methods.

"Our main goal before we can go to market is to provide data on how the product works and determine the validity and reliability of the Kinect in comparison to research-grade devices. We need to determine what measures are of interest to clinicians and determine whether the Kinect is capable of accurately making those kinds of measurements," Liddy said. "The main difficulty lies in identifying the particular contexts where the Kinect's performance is on par with research-grade devices. We plan on doing this by setting up validation studies in the near future."

The company is seeking funding to help complete validation studies for the product and take it to market.

For information on other Purdue intellectual property ready for licensing and commercialization, visit http://www.otc-prf.org. For more information about available leadership positions, investing in a Purdue startup or licensing a Purdue innovation, visit http://www.purduefoundry.com.

About Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization

The Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the United States. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university's academic activities. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2014 Incubator Network of the Year by the National Business Incubation Association for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org. For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at innovation@prf.org

Purdue Research Foundation contact: Hillary Henry, 765-588-3586, hkhenry@prf.org

Sources: Joshua Liddy, josh.liddy@gmail.com

Samuel Pontecorvo, samuelpontecorvo@gmail.com