Three ways to measure movement objectively — and why the phone wins on reach.
Lab-based motion capture, wearable sensors, and smartphone markerless analysis all quantify movement. They differ most in what they require to do it — and how easily that fits real clinical work.
Scroll the table sideways to see all three columns.
| Dimension | Kinetically Smartphone, markerless | Lab-based capture Markers & force plates | Wearable sensors Body-worn IMUs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware required | A smartphone or tablet you already own | Marker systems, multi-camera rigs, force plates, dedicated lab space | Body-worn IMU sensors, straps, charging, pairing |
| Setup per assessment | Open the app, frame, capture — moments | Marker placement and calibration; minutes to set up | Don sensors, pair, calibrate per session |
| Where it works | Bedside, clinic, or the patient's home | A fixed lab the patient must travel to | Anywhere sensors are worn — if worn correctly |
| What it captures | Full-body movement — gait, balance, mobility, upper-limb, tremor | High-fidelity full-body kinematics and kinetics | Signals limited to where sensors are placed |
| Markerless | Yes — 1,200+ landmarks from video, nothing on the body | No — physical markers attached to the patient | No — devices attached to the patient |
| Reproducibility | Consistent across raters, visits, and devices | High in-lab, but hard to reproduce outside it | Sensitive to placement and wear compliance |
| Capital cost | No new hardware to procure or maintain | High capital expense and ongoing maintenance | Per-sensor cost, replacement, and logistics |
| Patient experience | Nothing to wear; familiar phone-based capture | Markers and an unfamiliar lab environment | Devices to wear, remember, and keep charged |
In short: lab-based motion capture is the reference for research-grade fidelity, wearable sensors are strongest for continuous real-world data, and smartphone markerless capture is the easiest way to get objective numbers from standardized clinical tests at every visit. They answer different questions, and many programs use more than one.
Lab-based motion capture remains a gold standard for research-grade fidelity, and wearables excel at continuous, all-day activity data. Kinetically's focus is different: bringing objective, reproducible clinical measurement to the point of care — without new hardware, a lab, or anything attached to the patient. For named products in each category, see our buyer's guide to movement analysis apps.
Match the tool to the clinical question.
Choose lab-based capture when…
You need research-grade kinematics and kinetics, such as joint moments or detailed 3D joint angles, and the patient can come to a lab with markers, multiple cameras and force plates. It is the reference that other methods are validated against.
Choose wearable sensors when…
You need continuous, real-world data: activity, step counts or walking over hours or days at home. Sensors capture behavior a clinic visit never sees, as long as they are placed correctly, charged and worn.
Choose smartphone markerless capture when…
You need objective numbers from standardized tests, such as gait speed, Timed Up & Go, sit-to-stand, balance and range of motion, at every visit or at home, without new hardware or anything attached to the patient.
How close does markerless capture get to the lab? See the peer-reviewed accuracy evidence. For normal values to compare results against, see our functional test reference values.
If it needs a lab, it doesn't scale.
Accessibility
The most accurate measurement is the one that actually gets taken. Running on devices clinics already own means objective assessment can happen at every visit — and at home — not only in a lab a patient rarely reaches.
Reproducibility
Markerless capture removes marker-placement variability. The same patient produces the same numbers across raters, visits, and devices — the property clinical decisions depend on.
Workflow fit
No separate session, room, or device to manage. Capture slots into the appointment that's already happening, and the metrics flow into documentation.
Total cost
No capital equipment, no marker suits, no per-sensor replacement. The hardware budget is the phone in your pocket.
Further reading
Smartphone Capture vs. Wearables: Choosing the Right Tool for Clinical Movement Data
Wearables, force plates or a smartphone camera? What each measures best, how markerless capture compares with lab systems, and why consistency matters.
TechnologyWhat Is Markerless Motion Capture?
Measuring movement precisely once meant a lab full of cameras and reflective markers. Computer vision is changing what's possible — and where.
TechnologyWhat Makes Movement Measurement Clinical-Grade? Validation, Precision and Real Change
What separates clinical-grade movement measurement from consumer sensors: validation against lab systems, reproducibility, and change beyond noise.
Comparison questions.
Is smartphone movement analysis as accurate as a motion-capture lab?
Not for every measure. Reviews of markerless capture report that spatiotemporal gait measures, such as gait speed, cadence and step length, generally agree well with marker-based systems, while some joint-angle and out-of-plane measures need more caution. Lab capture remains the reference standard for research-grade fidelity. The peer-reviewed evidence is summarized on our validation page.
What is the difference between wearables and smartphone capture for movement assessment?
Wearable inertial sensors are worn on the body and are strongest for continuous, real-world data over hours or days. Smartphone markerless capture films a standardized test with a phone camera and needs nothing on the patient, which suits repeated in-clinic or at-home assessments. Many programs use both for different questions.
Do I need special hardware to use Kinetically?
No. Kinetically runs on the smartphones and tablets a clinic already has. There are no markers, sensors, mats or force plates to buy or maintain.
Which approach is best for tracking a patient over time?
The one that gets used the same way at every visit. Trends are what clinicians act on, and they depend on repeated, standardized measurement. Lower setup friction makes repetition realistic, which is the main reason for measuring at the point of care.
Where can I compare specific movement analysis products?
Our buyer's guide to movement analysis apps lists 11 options by category, including smartphone, 3D-camera, sensor and video tools, with each vendor's claims taken from its own website.
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