The new frontiers of robotics research foresee future scenarios where artificial agents will leave the laboratory to progressively take part in the activities of our daily life. This will require robots to have very sophisticated perceptual and action skills in many intelligence-demanding applications, with particular reference to the ability to seamlessly interact with humans. It will be crucial for the next generation of robots to understand their human partners and at the same time to be intuitively understood by them. In this context, a deep understanding of human motion is essential for robotics applications, where the ability to detect, represent and recognize human dynamics and the capability for generating appropriate movements in response sets the scene for higher-level tasks. This book provides a comprehensive overview of this challenging research field, closing the loop between perception and action, and between human-studies and robotics. The book is organized in three main parts. The first part focuses on human motion perception, with contributions analyzing the neural substrates of human action understanding, how perception is influenced by motor control, and how it develops over time and is exploited in social contexts. The second part considers motion perception from the computational perspective, providing perspectives on cutting-edge solutions available from the Computer Vision and Machine Learning research fields, addressing higher-level perceptual tasks. Finally, the third part takes into account the implications for robotics, with chapters on how motor control is achieved in the latest generation of artificial agents and how such technologies have been exploited to favor human-robot interaction. This book considers the complete human-robot cycle, from an examination of how humans perceive motion and act in the world, to models for motion perception and control in artificial agents. In this respect, the book will provide insights into the perception and action loop in humans and machines, joining together aspects that are often addressed in independent investigations. As a consequence, this book positions itself in a field at the intersection of such different disciplines as Robotics, Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Computer Vision, and Machine Learning. By bridging these different research domains, the book offers a common reference point for researchers interested in human motion for different applications and from different standpoints, spanning Neuroscience, Human Motor Control, Robotics, Human-Robot Interaction, Computer Vision and Machine Learning. Chapter 'The Importance of the Affective Component of Movement in Action Understanding' of this book is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com.

"196 plates (containing over 4700 individual photographs) from the famous Muybridge collection, chosen for their value to artists, doctors, and researchers"--Jacket.

The Handbook of Human Motion is a large cross-disciplinary reference work which covers the many interlinked facets of the science and technology of human motion and its measurement. Individual chapters cover fundamental principles and technological developments, the state-of-the-art and consider applications across four broad and interconnected fields; medicine, sport, forensics and animation. The huge strides in technological advancement made over the past century make it possible to measure motion with unprecedented precision, but also lead to new challenges. This work introduces the many different approaches and systems used in motion capture, including IR and ultrasound, mechanical systems and video, plus some emerging techniques. The large variety of techniques used for the study of motion science in medicine can make analysis a complicated process, but extremely effective for the treatment of the patient when well utilised. The handbook descri bes how motion capture techniques are applied in medicine, and shows how the resulting analysis can help in diagnosis and treatment. A closely related field, sports science involves a combination of in-depth medical knowledge and detailed understanding of performance and training techniques, and motion capture can play an extremely important role in linking these disciplines. The handbook considers which technologies are most appropriate in specific circumstances, how they are applied and how this can help prevent injury and improve sporting performance. The application of motion capture in forensic science and security is reviewed, with chapters dedicated to specific areas including employment law, injury analysis, criminal activity and motion/facial recognition. And in the final area of application, the book describes how novel motion capture techniques have been designed specifically to aid the creation of increasingly realistic animation within films and v ideo games, with Lord of the Rings and Avatar just two examples. Chapters will provide an overview of the bespoke motion capture techniques developed for animation, how these have influenced advances in film and game design, and the links to behavioural studies, both in humans and in robotics. Comprising a cross-referenced compendium of different techniques and applications across a broad field, the Handbook of Human Motion provides the reader with a detailed reference and simultaneously a source of inspiration for future work. The book will be of use to students, researchers, engineers and others working in any field relevant to human motion capture.

This book focuses on the examination of forces that create entire body motion.

This is the first book which informs about recent progress in biomechanics, computer vision and computer graphics – all in one volume. Researchers from these areas have contributed to this book to promote the establishment of human motion research as a multi-facetted discipline and to improve the exchange of ideas and concepts between these three areas. The book combines carefully written reviews with detailed reports on recent progress in research.

This text is designed to address current applications and future directions in human motion analysis. It has been written to convey basic as well as advanced concepts to engineers (Part I) and clinicians (Part II). Part I presents current and emerging concepts in motion analysis technology. Part II addresses the important aspects of clinical data interpretation and decision making with numerous examples.

Biomechanics of Human Motion: Basics and Beyond for the Health Professions presents a straightforward approach to the basic principles, theories and applications of biomechanics and provides numerous techniques and examples for approaching biomechanical situations enhanced by healthcare professionals. Building on his previous work, Dr. Barney LeVeau uses clearly defined, concise terms and real-life applications rather than advanced mathematics to make teaching and learning biomechanics easier. Based upon the concept of force, the text illustrates how force is applied to the human body and how the body applies force to various objects. The emphasis is upon the pertinent factors that guide the reader to an understanding of biomechanics at a beginning level. Chapter Topics Include: - Strength of material such as loading and stress-strain relationships - Composition and Resolution of Forces such as graphic method and mathematical method - Equilibrium such as static, first condition and second condition - Dynamics such as kinematics and kinetics - Application such as stability and balance, motion analysis, and gait What's Inside: - Simple explanations of biological & mechanical concepts - Contemporary articles at the end of each chapter providing readers with information beyond the basics - Over 240 images illustrate biomechanical situations and computations - User-friendly, uncomplicated mathematical formulas and examples Biomechanics of Human Motion: Basics and Beyond for the Health Professions provides students and clinicians of all allied health professions with a basic background and solid foundation on which to build a solid understanding of force and biomechanics.