Assistive Technologies

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Applied engineering and sensor-technology development that bridges biomechanical expertise with robotics and computer vision.

Model-based motion capture with depth sensors

During my time in the Biomechanics of Human Movement and Ergonomics Lab at the University of Extremadura, I collaborated with the university’s robotics and artificial-vision research group on the development of markerless, depth-sensor-based human motion capture.

Low-cost RGB-D sensors (such as the Microsoft Kinect / PrimeSense) paired with open frameworks like OpenNI made human tracking accessible without invasive marker-based equipment, but the plausibility of the resulting body poses was not guaranteed — sensor noise and tracking errors could produce anatomically implausible postures. Drawing on my background in kinematics and biomechanical modeling, I contributed to a model-based pose generator that reinforces raw OpenNI tracking data with kinematic constraints, removes implausible postures, reduces sensor noise, and adapts to each individual’s body dimensions — improving pose accuracy over standard OpenNI tracking at minimal added computational cost.

This line of work reflects a broader interest in translating biomechanical and motor-control principles into practical sensing and engineering solutions, alongside my core research in neurorehabilitation and adapted physical activity.

Wheelchair design and disability-sport technology

At the 4th Congress of Sport Science (Athens 2017), I presented the design of a prototype manual wheelchair instrumented with accelerometer, wheel-rim force, contact-pressure, and EMG sensors to capture the biomechanical and physiological parameters relevant to propulsion technique, lumbar spine safety, stability, and performance — criteria for the ergonomic design of manual wheelchairs. More recently, I gave an invited talk on the role of assistive technology in promoting the participation of people with disabilities in sport, as part of a seminar of the Northern Greece Physical Education Teachers Association (EGVE 2026), and an invited talk on adapted physical activity and applied biomechanics at the 5th International Conference on Sport Sciences (ICSS 2025).

Wheelchair Design | Andreas Skiadopoulos

Assistive Technologies

Model-based motion capture with depth sensors

Wheelchair design and disability-sport technology