Dynamic Balance measures using a Kinect Camera; a validation study

Data collection using new technology has the capacity to improve the efficiency of data collection and reduce transcription errors in large data sets. As well, it has potential clinical relevance for management of client assessment and re-assessments. Functional reach is a validated measure of dynamic balance that is used for measuring limits of stability in response to a self-generated perturbation. It is widely used for a variety of clinical populations and compares well with other balance measures for clinical utility. Traditionally values are measured by a clinician reading values from a tape measure or ruler adjacent to the client. New motion capture software and cameras has the capacity to improve efficiency in both research and clinical contexts by accurately measuring, recording and storing information. As well, costs for this commercially available technology have reduced dramatically in recent times, making it cost-effective for a wide range of practical applications. The Kinect camera has been validated for range of motion, and several functional tasks like Timed Up and Go, however, to date no validation studies have been done using the Kinect for windows to compare its accuracy and clinical utility in a dynamic balance task. Recent advances in camera technology (last 5 months) have increased the sensitivity of motion capture and allowed us to test it in this way. Previously published validation studies using this technology are typically small Potential advantages include: *Reduced time for data collection *Improved storage of data *Reduced data collection time *Easy ability to securely gain and store data The aim of this project is to determine if the new camera technology is *accurate and * reliable