Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42451339›Full record

ArticleSensors (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Validation of Azure Kinect for Upper Limb Motion Analysis Under Optimal and Suboptimal Conditions.

Gabriele Fassina, Serena Cerfoglio, Michele Rigucci, Alessandra Pedrocchi, Veronica Cimolin, Emilia Ambrosini

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Gabriele FassinaNearLab, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0009-0006-6916-3432
Serena CerfoglioMovlab, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-1983-8204
Michele RigucciNearLab, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.
Alessandra PedrocchiNearLab, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-9957-2786
Veronica CimolinMovlab, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-6299-7254
Emilia AmbrosiniNearLab, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6527-0779

Funding

European Union MUSA - Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Assessment of upper-limb kinematics is essential in clinical practice for diagnosis, rehabilitation monitoring, and treatment personalization. Markerless Motion Capture (MMC) systems, such as the Microsoft Azure Kinect (AK), offer a low-cost and time-efficient alternative to marker-based systems. However, while AK accuracy has been extensively studied for lower-limb movements, its performance for upper-limb analysis-especially under clinically relevant, suboptimal conditions-remains underexplored. This study aims to validate AK for upper-limb motion tracking against a gold-standard optoelectronic system under optimal and suboptimal conditions. Sixteen healthy adults performed ten upper body motor tasks in three scenarios: optimal setup, seated posture with table occlusion, and increased camera distance. Joint angles were compared using normalized Root Mean Squared Error (nRMSE) and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Performance Indicators (PIs) including Range of Motion (ROM), smoothness, and Time to Peak Velocity (TTPV) were also evaluated. AK accurately captured movements performed within the camera plane, with median nRMSE below 20% in optimal conditions and no significant degradation in suboptimal setups. In contrast, movements occurring on planes perpendicular to the camera were poorly captured. ROM estimation was acceptable and highly reproducible, while TTPV showed moderate-to-poor reliability and smoothness deviated substantially from the reference system. These findings suggest that careful attention to Kinect positioning is essential to ensure effective acquisitions, even in suboptimal scenarios. Future research should evaluate AK validity in clinical populations and explore the effects of system interference in multi-device setups.

Indexed as

Upper ExtremityAdultBiomechanical PhenomenaFemaleHumansMaleMotion CaptureMovementRange of Motion, ArticularAzure Kinectkinematicsmarkerless motion captureupper limbvalidity study

Identifiers

PMID42451339
PMCPMC13363823

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.