While fumbling with infrared markers for motion systems at ASU's motor control and rehabilitation lab, electrical engineering graduate students Prem Kuchi and Raghuram Hiremagalur decided there had to be a better way.
Unfortunately for the two there wasn't -- so they made one.
Kuchi and Hiremagalur spent two-and-a-half years developing their own motion capture system dubbed MotionEase.
MotionEase is a motion capture system that digitally documents a person's movement patterns. The data can be used to diagnose or rehabilitate people with medical problems.
The creation, unlike systems currently on the market, uses no infrared sensors and markers, only a computer and standard cameras, Hiremagalur said.
"MotionEase is really a unique concept," he said. "It makes the motion capture process simple. Without markers it will save time, energy and money while at the same time performing above existing motion capture systems."
MotionEase utilizes common camcorders synchronized with a computer program to track a patient's movement. Because of this, Kuchi said, the $300,000 MotionEase can be substantially cheaper than typical motion capture systems, which run from $500,000 to $1.6 million.
"People are also not going to have to deal with setting the infrared markers on patients which generally takes up two hours," Kuchi said. "That's means patients are going to be less tired, and you're going to get a better diagnosis."
From the beginning, the two students had planned on marketing their product, but they were unsure of how it would be received, Hiremagalur said. After entering and claiming top honors in Entrepreneur 2004, an annual competition held by the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, however, he said they were confident that MotionEase could be a success.
"The entrepreneur competition was an important shot of confidence to us," Hiremagalur said. "After winning it became clear that not only Prem and I believed in MotionEase, but so did other people."
Along with the prestige of winning the April 8 contest, Kuchi and Hiremagalur received $90,000 for further development as well as $50,000 to cover legal fees. A prototype for MotionEase is expected to hit the market in June, Hiremagalur said.
Both students plan on making MotionEase an incorporated company within the coming weeks. Though, leaving the ranks of university research for public sale is slightly intimidating Kuchi said.
"In many ways I am excited, but I am also a little scared at the same time," he said. "Larger companies who have invested millions of dollars might try to push us out of the market because we offering a better but cheaper product. This is causing us to possibly team up with some of the larger companies to ensure MotionEase gets its chance to reach consumers."
Despite the uncertainties, Kuchi said he is confident.
"Here is a product that can work in numerous fields: medical rehabilitation, sports rehabilitation and animation. There is a huge market for something like this," he said.
Reach the reporter at jason.samuels@asu.edu.
