Estimation of Ground Reaction Forces from Kinematic Data during Locomotion
For clinicians and researchers, this method enables GRF estimation in settings without force plates, potentially expanding access to kinetic gait analysis.
This work presents a method to estimate ground reaction forces (GRFs) using only marker-based motion capture data, eliminating the need for force plates. Experimental results demonstrate the viability of this force-plate-free approach for gait analysis.
Ground reaction forces (GRFs) provide fundamental insight into human gait mechanics and are widely used to assess joint loading, limb symmetry, balance control, and motor function. Despite their clinical relevance, the use of GRF remains underutilised in clinical workflows due to the practical limitations of force plate systems. In this work, we present a force-plate-free approach for estimating GRFs using only marker-based motion capture data. This kinematics only method to estimate and decompose GRF makes it well suited for widespread clinical depolyment. By using kinematics from sixteen body segments, we estimate the centre of mass (CoM) and compute GRFs, which are subsequently decomposed into individual components through a minimization-based approach. Through this framework, we can identify gait stance phases and provide access to clinically meaningful kinetic measures without a dedicated force plate system. Experimental results demonstrate the viability of CoM and GRF estimation based solely on kinematic data, supporting force-plate-free gait analysis.