Preview Sensor Data

Sensor data can be previewed in OpenSim to verify that preprocessing was done correctly and that data is in agreement with the intended model. In some cases, you can also use OpenSim's feature for Associating Data with a Motion. For example, if you've already run IK and you want to visualize sensor data or ground reaction forces in sync with the inverse kinematics trial you should use the Associate Data motion feature.

If you have multiple files representing different pieces of data, this tool allows you to verify that the data was transformed consistently. Since the goal is to ensure that the data is consistent with an OpenSim model for further analysis, this module handles data files in the format accepted by OpenSim tools. The sensor data need to be represented as (.sto) file containing Quaternions. Each Quaternion is represented as a triad in the 3D window.

The preview functionality is accessible through the menu File→Preview Sensor Data...

Upon selecting this option, the user is prompted to browse for the .sto file containing quaternion data, an example file is provided within the OpenSense example files.

Since sensor orientation data typically do not have "translation/position" information, the user is prompted to choose a placement to position the triads corresponding to the quaternions from the data file in the 3D window. The following figure shows the dialog and the corresponding options to customize sensor data visualization.

Once loaded, the sensor data "motion" is treated uniformly as other motions in the OpenSim application, in that it can be animated using the motion slider and/or synchronized with other motions if desired.