Description of the algorithms for testing the horizontal jump in a computerized testing system of gross motor skills

摘要

Assessment of gross motor skills is important for children, youths, and adults and can be beneficial for the study and diagnosis of different health conditions. The classical tools are mainly administered by operators. A computerized system using sensors to assess gross motor skills could enhance these tools, providing consistency of measurement, reduce human error, and automate data collection. As part of a computerized system to measure gross motor skills using the Kinect, we present the details of algorithms developed to test the "horizontal jump" (HJ). These algorithms were developed by translating the performance criteria into equations for the coordinates of anatomical landmarks, describing the expected kinematic behaviour of relevant body parts. Our test results show that the algorithms successfully evaluated the performance criteria.