Marker sets

A marker set is the specific arrangement of reflective markers placed on a subject’s body for motion capture.

During a static trial, the subject holds still while the Qualisys system records the position of the markers. The markers are then tracked in space during the dynamic trial, and later, during data analysis, the software defines the position and motion of the subject’s body segments based on the marker set you are using. At least three markers are needed to track each body segment, but more than three are recommended so that the motion can still be tracked if a marker becomes temporarily blocked from the cameras’ view.

Many different marker sets have been developed and published, and some labs develop marker sets specific to their needs. There is no single model regarded as a universal gold standard, and your Qualisys system can work with any marker set. However, it is recommended that your team refer to the book Color Atlas of Skeletal Landmark Definitions by Serge van Sint Jan for directions on how to accurately identify and palpate the anatomical landmarks used in the marker sets so that your results will be consistent.