Kinetisense Newsletter
Version 6 , March 2022
The New Kinetisense V6 Revolutionizes Markerless Motion Capture
Kinetisense is excited to announce the release of our new V6 system, the next generation of advanced Kinetisense clinical motion capture technology. The V6 system has integrated the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology to improve overall joint tracking in all 3 planes of movement and has achieved a new level of human tracking fidelity and accuracy. The improved tracking capabilities and hidden joint recognition increase the joint tracking capabilities and overall functional outputs, leading to an even greater level of accuracy that has been shown to be similar to the Vicon research system.
Paired with the advanced AI and computer learning V6 system, Kinetisense has also created a proprietary “motion capture engine”. The Kinetisense motion capture removes “outlier” data that is often generated by the raw skeleton tracking system. This is one of the many advantages Kinetisense has over our competitors, as we are the only markerless motion capture system with the ability to remove any “outlier” data during a real-time assessment.
Kinetisense continues to evolve with the implementation of new and advanced technologies to our already robust motion capture system, extending these advantages and differentiators to our customers. We are pleased to be selected as the markerless motion capture of choice for movement specialists.
Some very exciting new developments are also set to be launched soon! Contact us for more information.
Measuring Functional Fatigue with Kinetisense
Assess an athlete’s functional fatigue with assessments done before and after a treatment session. Kinetisense allows you to design your own customized workflows, including protocols for lower extremity strength and stability. The vertical jump and single leg hop assessments are two examples of assessments that could be used.
The vertical jump assessment captures more than just jump height. It also determines if there is asymmetry between the right and left leg. In fact, research has shown that if there is a greater than 10% difference in jump height between the right and left leg, there is a 50% chance of injuring the weaker leg.
The single leg hop module assesses variables such as maximum degree of valgus collapse, rate of valgus collapse, jump force, and hip flexion. During the takeoff and landing phase of the jump, the slightest changes are captured and quantified in seconds.
Kinetisense has enabled the single leg hop module to evaluate multiple jumps in a single assessment to assess fatigue. The same is true for the vertical jump module, except that only the highest score is saved.
For this workflow, an athlete will complete a posture, vertical jump, and single leg hop assessment. More specifically, the athlete will complete a vertical jump 3x (left leg jump 3x, right leg jump 3x), single leg hop 3x (left leg hop 3x, right leg hop 3x) and finish with a posture snapshot. After completion, analyze and draw conclusions from the data that is presented.
What additional equipment does Kinetisense recommend?
Kinetisense has been used in a variety of settings, both indoor and outdoor. These include high schools, clinics, long-term care institutions, and training centers. Each environment has its own set of requirements.
We are currently in the process of developing a best practices document that is based off client feedback and our own personal experience. For now, we would like to share information on key pieces of equipment that will be useful in any environment.
With regard to the USB and mini tripod that comes with the Intel camera, we have found more reliable solutions.
Logitech Spotlight – This wireless controller is especially useful when performing balance assessments on individuals in the geriatric population
TV for biofeedback or aesthetics – see image below
Top Tips to Identify and Avoid Phishing Emails
(Originally published by ITSolutions)
Phishing is a form of social engineering in which users are tricked into providing sensitive information. While the original goal of phishing was to gain credentials and steal personal or corporate data, it is no longer the only reason cybercriminals “go phishing.”
They also use phishing to trick victims into launching malicious files on their computers. These may open a link to an infected website that enables the attacker to take over corporate systems. In some cases, they launch ransomware software on the system.
Company employees (including management) are particularly vulnerable since they offer easy entry into computer networks, systems and data stores. Despite decades of phishing attacks (the first was against AOL employees in the 1990s), phishing still works frequently due to human gullibility.
One study found that 97 percent of users cannot identify a sophisticated phishing email, and among those that do, only 3 percent report them to management. Fortunately, with proper education users will be prepared to identify, avoid and report phishing emails. Following are tips you should review (and share) today.
Identifying Phishing Emails
Phishing emails (and text messages; a new attack vector) may look like they’re from a company you know or trust such as a bank, credit card company, online website, app or store you may use. They will often tell a story (or issue a threat) to trick you into proceeding with their request to take action. These may include:
- An account has experienced suspicious activity or log-in attempts.
- There’s a problem with an account or some payment information.
- A payment (or deposit, for a bank) was rejected or cannot be processed and the user must confirm personal information before they can provide the details.
- An online bill or an invoice for a service is due (or overdue) and should be paid, now.
- An account has been overpaid, or the user was accidentally overbilled, and he or she can click a link to request a refund.
- An application, cloud service or online tool has experienced a service outage and the user must log back in to restart it.
Furthermore, since phishing emails may be written by individuals not familiar with the recipient’s native language — or even computer generated — they may look “off,” e.g. use bad grammar, have spelling mistakes, or use unusual or generic salutations/greetings.
Confirming Email Oddities
Finally, since phishing emails attempt to create the semblance of being real, they often include links, attachments, or special requests that appear real enough for the recipient to follow their lead. Following are some telltale signs.
- Oddities in email addresses, links and domain names, e.g. www.landsend33.com or [email protected].
- Attachments the recipient is urged to download right away.
- Text that asks the recipient to log in or provide credentials, payment Information or other sensitive data to confirm their identity so they can receive details regarding the issue, offer, etc.
Phishing is a serious problem, but it is just one element of cyber risk in a world of ever-evolving threats.
References
https://www.itsolutions-inc.com/news-and-training/article/can-staff-spot-dangerous-phishing-email-certain
The Anaheim Ducks Implement Kinetisense
Kinetisense is pleased to announce that the Anaheim Ducks are the latest professional sports team to implement the Kinetisense markerless motion capture system. The Anaheim Ducks are a world-class National Hockey League (NHL) organization that implement only the most advanced technologies to analyze and train their athletes. The addition of Kinetisense provides the Ducks with an invaluable assessment tool that can be used to track the progress of their athletes through their training, develop rehabilitation protocols, and analyze functional fatigue.
Many professional sports teams use the system in many components of their training and functional rehabilitation. Risk of injury assessments such as the single leg hop assessment help practitioners identify the possible risks of injury and employ rehabilitative strategies to the neuromusculoskeletal (NMSK) system accordingly.
The Kinetisense Advanced Movement Screen (KAMS) is a 3-minute functional movement screen that allows teams such as the Ducks to assess their athletes during the pre-season in 1/10th the time of traditional and subjective “visual-based” functional movement screens, thereby increasing overall efficiency. KAMS analyzes over 350 tri-planar dysfunctions over the course of 12 evidence-based movements.
◊ Trend Data
The ability to collect objective functional movement data comes with many advantages that extend far beyond the inherent increase in inter and intra-examiner reliability. The collection of “data-based movement”, paired with the proprietary Kinetisense functional indexing, functional planar mapping, and scoring allows for the analysis of trend data. Trend data shows change over time, and KAMS is considered to be one of the only markerless motion systems that reproducibly show these functional changes over the course of time.
◊ Analyzing Functional Fatigue
The main advantage of trend data is the ability to monitor the “functional fatigue” of the athlete over the course of the rigorous competitive season. Research indicates that the majority of injuries occur during the later phases of the season, as the NMSK system becomes fatigued. Accordingly, there is a greater likelihood of compensatory movements and altered protective mechanisms. The KAMS functional movement data provides teams with key information on the functional fatigue of an athlete, allowing for modification of training, rest, etc.
Multisegmental Flexion
Active multisegmental flexion requires the eccentric contraction of the muscles of the hip and posterior chain of the upper and lower legs. Properly performed spinal flexion from the standing position requires eccentric contraction of the lumbar extensor muscles (Mathieu & Fortin, 2000).
The inability of the lower extremity posterior chain muscles such as the gluteus maximus and hamstring muscles to activate becomes a limiting factor for lumbar flexion and places a strain on the lumbar erector muscles. The increased strain on the lumbar extensor muscles inhibits their ability to eccentrically contract during flexion. Studies have shown that hypertrophy and tightening of the lumbar erector spinae muscles can be a consequence of tension in the hip flexor mechanism. Reduced hip extension from increased tension in the hip flexors can cause increased muscle recruitment of the lumbar extensors (Renstrom et.al, 1989).
EMG studies have found altered extensor muscle recruitment in chronic low back patients during spine flexion, indicating impairment in neuromuscular control (Neblett et. al, 2013). Additionally, it is important to take into account tension that may be occurring along the neural structures during spinal flexion.
When the spine goes into full flexion, the neural structures of the spinal canal are placed in a tensioned position. The spinal canal elongates approximately 9 cm during full spinal flexion, while the lumbar region alone will account for 5 cm of that total elongation (Louis, 1981).
The neural structures in the spinal canal have attachments to the coccyx, via the elastic filum terminale, and then are connected to the dura of the skull. When an individual goes into full flexion the neural structures are tensioned on both ends, which may result in pain and/or decreased range of motion (Shacklock, 2005). EMG studies have also found that during “normal” spine flexion the lumbar extensors are recruited for the first two-thirds of movement. At this point, the posterior ligaments of the spine (supraspinous, posterior longitudinal) become completely stretched, and the remaining one-third of flexion is obtained by eccentric contraction of the hip muscles (Geisser et.al, 2005).
During the last two-thirds of spinal flexion, the lumbar extensors move into a “relaxation” phase. If there is a lack of hip mobility and hip stability, the muscle recruitment during spine flexion is altered and there is a lack of posterior shifting of the pelvis during flexion. This imposes an increased demand on the back extensor muscles and over time can cause an increase in tension in the back extension muscles. The combination of increased tension in the lumbar extensors with reduced posterior pelvic tilt and shift reduces lumbar flexion mobility and can increase the likelihood of strain in the low back. A posterior pelvic shift during spine flexion leads to a more centrated center of gravity and reduces the load imposed on the lumbar extensor muscles while recruiting muscles of the hip.
