Translation Toolbox Practical Applications and Use Case Scenarios

In clinical practice and sports science, the ability to capture meaningful, outcome-focused movement data can make a significant difference in patient and athlete evaluation, treatment planning, and performance planning. The Translation Toolbox within Noraxon’s MR software provides clinicians with an accessible way to measure translational metrics such as walking speed, jump height, or hand displacement—metrics that directly reflect functional performance. Unlike traditional biomechanical analysis, which often emphasizes angular motion (e.g., joint angles, coordination strategies), translational metrics are outcome-oriented and immediately relevant to rehabilitation, return-to-sport, and functional mobility assessments.

One of the key strengths of the Translation Toolbox is its accessibility. With as little as a single IMU sensor, clinicians and applied users can generate objective measures of speed and distance without the need for complex or expensive lab equipment. This reduces barriers to use and makes high-quality biomechanical data collection possible in outpatient clinics, sports training facilities, and even field-based environments.

Beyond accessibility, the Translation Toolbox empowers clinicians to bridge the gap between technical biomechanics and real-world outcomes. Translational metrics help answer practical questions such as:

• Is this patient regaining walking speed after surgery?
• Has this athlete recovered enough power to return to play?
• Does this functional task show improvement after a rehabilitation program?

By focusing on these questions, clinicians can more effectively monitor progress, track rehabilitation milestones, and make informed decisions.

This guide contains practical resources designed to guide clinicians and other applied users through implementation to make the Translation Toolbox an effective solution for integrating objective translational metrics into daily clinical workflows.

Users should have access to Ultium Motion sensors and the MR 4.2 software. For more information on best practices for Ultium Motion system setup, sensors placement, and calibration routines, reference the 🔗Utlium Motion Getting Started Guide.

This section outlines some practical scenarios for using the translation toolbox to calculate relevant performance-based metrics for common assessment types.

Jump tests are a gold standard for assessing lower-body power, recovery, and rehabilitation progress, especially in sports medicine settings. The Translation Toolbox allows clinicians to calculate jump height, takeoff velocity, and displacement using a single IMU sensor mounted on the Pelvis. These outcomes can be directly tied to patient progress and readiness for return-to-play decisions. In rehabilitation and performance, repeat jump assessments can highlight improvements in strength and explosiveness over time.

Sensor Placement – Pelvis:

The sensor should be placed on the Pelvis segment on the sacrum. Refer to 🔗IMU Sensor Placement Guidelines for more details.

Recording the Test:

1. Create a Protocol with the desired sensors enabled.
2. Perform the Forward Lean calibration. (Recommended when only the Pelvis sensor is used.)
3. Ask the subject to perform jumps. **Ensure pauses are measured between each jump!

How to Analyze with the Translation Toolbox:

1. Select Translation Toolbox >> Segment Linear Motion: Single Sensor.
2. Select a time range on the timeline (1 jump), then click “Set Intervals” to define the analysis window. For best restuls, use shorter intervals (under 10 seconds) when generating displacement signals. Then PROCESS the signal.
3. Repeat time range selection, set intervals, and PROCESS for multiple jumps, if desired.

Key Outputs:

• Jump Height
• Take Off Velocity

Clinical & Practical Interpretation:

A single sensor can be used to calculate Jump Height and Take-Off velocity, which are both key performance metrics for tracking athlete or patient progress over time. The results can be compared across multiple sessions to track improvement. Improvements in jump height and take-off velocity can translate to return-to-play readiness.

NOTE: Noraxon Support will share the custom report generated in the video, or help with custom report creation. Reach out to support@noraxon.com for more information.

Gait speed is one of the most widely used indicators of functional mobility and overall health status. In clinical practice, measuring walking speed can provide insight into fall risk, rehabilitation progress, and long-term outcomes for patients recovering from surgery or managing chronic conditions. With the Translation Toolbox, clinicians can use foot sensors and a pelvis-mounted sensor to capture speed, displacement, and vertical pelvis movement during overground walking. This objective data helps track improvements over time and provides a more reliable alternative to stopwatch-based walk tests.

Sensor Placement – Pelvis, Left Foot, and Right Foot:

The sensors should be placed on the Pelvis, Left Foot, and Right Foot segments.

Recording Any Gait Test:

Refer to the full tutorial on performing walk tests with 3 sensors, specifically outlining the 10-Meter Walk Test. The walk test protocol can be modified to evaluate different walk test distances as desired, described in the Variations and Common Questions section.

How to Perform the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT)🔗

Key Outputs:

Walk speed, timing, coordination, asymmetry, and angle parameters.

(View the article How to Perform the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT)🔗 for a full list of available parameters)

For athletes and active patients, running analysis is a valuable tool for monitoring rehabilitation, detecting inefficiencies, or tracking performance progression. The Translation Toolbox enables clinicians to evaluate speed, center-of-mass displacement, distance, and changes in symmetry using a simple sensor setup. These measures can be particularly useful for return-to-sport decisions, where the ability to run at or near pre-injury performance levels is a key milestone. By incorporating this objective feedback, clinicians can complement observational assessments with quantifiable performance metrics.

Sensor Placement – Pelvis, Left Foot, and Right Foot:

The sensors should be placed on the Pelvis, Left Foot, and Right Foot segments.

Recording the Test:

• Create a Protocol with the desired sensors enabled.
• Perform the Multipose calibration. (Recommended when the Pelvis and Foot sensors are used) – Refer to the How to Perform the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT)🔗 article for a full walk-through of this calibration method with 3 sensors.
• Record the subject walking or running according to your desired test.

How to Analyze with the Translation Toolbox:

• Select Translation Toolbox >> Segment Linear Motion: Single Sensor.
• Select a time range on the timeline, then click “Set Intervals” to define the analysis window. For best restuls, use shorter intervals (under 10 seconds) when generating displacement signals. Then PROCESS the signal.

NOTES:

• If you are already using another device that can perform contact detection (e.g, insoles or 2D Markerless Tracking), you can use just one sensor placed on the Pelvis to obtain parameters like vetical oscillation (COM displacement) usind the Segmnet Linear motion: Single Sensor operation.
• The use of 3 sensors is mainly recommended when contact detection to obtain temporal and phase parameters is also needed.

Key Outputs:

• Pelvis Sensor Vertical Displacement (Vertical COM oscillation)
• Pelvis Sensor Speed

Clinical & Practical Interpretation:

A single sensor can be used to calculate vertical COM oscillation, which can be key in evaluating running efficiency. The results can be compared across multiple sessions to track improvement. Improvements in vertical oscillation and corrleated to running stiffness.

NOTE: Noraxon Support will share the custom report generated in the video, or help with custom report creation. Reach out to support@noraxon.com for more information.

If you want the deeper dive—signal details, algorithms, parameter definitions, and advanced workflows—see the Full Translation Toolbox User Guide 🔗. Use it alongside this quick guide whenever you need full tutorials of Translation Toolbox methods, definitions, and the insight behind how it works.

Need help building a custom report like the ones shown here? Email support@noraxon.com and we’ll share samples or help tailor one to your workflow.

• Outcome-focused: Translation metrics (speed, distance, displacement, jump height) map directly to functional goals—rehab milestones, return-to-sport, and daily mobility.

• Low barrier to entry: You can get high-value measures with one IMU on the Pelvis; add Left/Right Foot sensors when you need contact detection, timing, and symmetry.

• Right calibration for the job:

  • Forward Lean → fast and sufficient for single-sensor jump workflows.

  • Multipose → recommended when using Pelvis + Feet for gait/running timing & phase.

• Clean analysis windows: For the most stable displacement signals, select short intervals (<10 s) and process one bout/jump/walk segment at a time.

• Repeatability matters: Consistent sensor placement, calibration routine, test instructions (e.g., pause between jumps), and environment drive reliable longitudinal comparisons.

• Reporting that informs decisions: Track jump height & take-off velocity for lower-body power, walk speed & asymmetry for functional mobility, and vertical COM oscillation & speed for running economy.

Noisy or drifting displacement: Use shorter intervals, re-check calibration, and minimize soft-tissue motion with firm mounting.

Inconsistent timing/asymmetry: Add foot sensors for contact detection or pair with devices (e.g., insoles/2D markerless) that provide events.

Unreliable trends across visits: Standardize sensor placement, calibration, and instructions; document test variations.