Analysis of human working postures designated for ergonomics can be performed by traditional measuring instruments – pen and paper. However, this method allows within a given period of time only a very limited count of ergonomic analyses with consideration of human error. Larger companies (especially automotive) have made considerable financial investments in Motion Capture (MoCap) devices in recent years. This device is well known, e.g. from the film industry, where we can animate a virtual character as a result of capturing real actor movements. Thanks to the expensive MoCap device, it is possible to acquire positions of points (called markers) on a character ́s body in real time. The MoCap expenses can be significantly reduced with the aid of the KINECT device, which was originally designed for computer games. Although the potential is limited compared to traditional MoCap, for basic ergonomic analysis it represents a cheap and reliable alternative. The solution lies in connecting the software of the device with a professional tool for ergonomic analysis. This paper deals with usability analysis, financial and time demands of this new method of movement capturing (since September 2012). Every issue will be demonstrated in a case study.
Science Journal 