Video-based motion capture smartphone applications for testing human motor performance skills: A scoping review

Background: Good motor performance skills (MPS) are relevant in all stages of life. Higher MPS are associated with enhanced cognitive abilities and physical and mental health. The assessment of MPS is important to identify deficits in MPS at an early stage and to implement interventions to address these deficits. One method to assess MPS is through marker-based motion capture in a laboratory setting with multiple cameras. However, this approach is expensive and time-consuming, making it impractical, for example, in large-scale studies for MPS assessment. Recent advancements (eg, artificial intelligence) in technology (eg, smartphone cameras) have opened up innovative solutions for various challenges (eg, testing large sample sizes). A potential solution is using video-based smartphone apps to assess MPS through markerless motion capture with a single camera.

Objective: The objectives of this scoping review were to summarize existing smartphone apps designed to digitally assess MPS through motion capture, identify the target population of the apps, determine whether the apps have been validated, and summarize the specific MPS that were assessed.
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Methods: The scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. The search was conducted in March 2024 using PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Education Resources Information Centre, and SAGE Publications. All included studies investigated video-based motion capture smartphone apps to assess MPS.

Results: A total of 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. Seven different smartphone apps were used within the studies, 6 of which have already been validated. The MPS assessed through the apps were gait, breaststroke, running, countermovement jump, and shoulder mobility, and 1 study assessed a functional movement test battery. The studied populations were healthy adults, older adults, athletes, or individuals with neurological illnesses.

Conclusions: The assessment of MPS through smartphone apps represents a promising tool, which can be used in a variety of fields, such as health and performance monitoring, coaching, and scientific research. In the future, more studies should focus on developing new smartphone apps to assess different MPS and validate these apps.