Towards balance assessment using Openpose

The ability to assess balance is essential to determine a patients ability to mitigate any risk of falling. While current assessment tools exist, they either have limitations in that there is no quantitative data recorded, or that they are impractical for general use in clinical settings. In this work, we aim at assessing balance using single-camera videos. In particular, the proposed method uses OpenPose to calculate the Center of Mass and Center of Pressure trajectories. To determine the validity of this approach, estimates obtained in an experimental study were compared to recordings obtained through the use of 3D motion capture and force plate. Our results indicate that this inexpensive, easy to use, and portable alternative has the potential to act as a suitable replacement to assess balance in clinical settings.