J. ………….. Vol. XX …, No.

X, 20XX, XX-XX 1

Two-Dimensional Analysis of Lower Extremities During

Derap Using DLT Method
Denis Irham Naufan1, Daffa Faisal Afif1,
Felix Paskalis1 & Ni Made Ayu Sinta Dewi1
1
Mechanical Engineering Program
Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung
Jalan Ganesa 10, Bandung 40132, INDONESIA
Email: daffa.faisal.2508@gmail.com

Abstract. HMM ITB has a distinct type of marching that is termed derap. Due
to the need of improving the consistency of group height throughout the
marching song, the writer performed an analysis of the lateral lower extremities
during derap. A camera, 5 active markers, and a workstation are utilized as
optical motion analyzer system to obtain the spatiotemporal and kinematic
parameters. The writer finds that the hip joint height tends to increase before
settling at 808 mm from the ground. The writer also finds that relative knee angle
tends to increase before settling at 124 degrees. Consequently, setting the starting
position closer to these values can minimize the group height variation.

Keywords: derap, kinematic parameters, lateral lower extremities, optical motion,

spatiotemporal parameters

1 Introduction
Marching refers to the organized and uniformed forward walking of a group in
rhythmic time. In Indonesia, it is typically associated with basic military
training and civilian ceremonial parades. A type of marching that is specific to
Himpunan Mahasiswa Mesin Institut Teknologi Bandung (HMM ITB) is
termed derap, after the sound of feet successively hitting the ground.

Similar to traditional military marching, derap has a set of guidelines that must
be followed, including the positioning of the body, the alignment with the
person in front and to the side, and the cadence. The starting position of derap is
the head facing forward and at the same height as the person to the side, the
trunk remaining upright, the hands are near the front pocket of the jacket, and
the legs are at a relative angle of around 110 degrees to the thighs. Ideally, this
position is maintained throughout the marching song.

In reality, the movement of the group is inconsistent throughout the marching

song, which is typically sung thrice at the tempo of 115 beats per minute. The
most noticeable variability is the height of the group. This is caused by the hip

Received ________, Revised _________, Accepted for publication __________

2 Denis Irham Naufan, et al.

joint settling at a different height and the legs swinging at a different relative
angle to the thighs than previously assumed in the starting position.

This study is seeking to find the period in which the body position becomes
steady. The corresponding position of the hip joint and relative angle between
the thighs and legs are also to be determined. This information can be used to
improve the starting position so that there’s a minimum variability in group
height during derap.

2 Methodology
Data acquisition in this study utilizes a motion capture system that consists of a
Go-Pro camera with a 1080p (Full HD) resolution and a frame rate of 60 frames
per second. The camera is docked on a tripod that is positioned perpendicular to
the observation zone at a distance of 1.60 meters and a height of 0.75 meters
above the ground. To obtain the camera parameters for marker position
reconstruction, the writer utilizes a 0.505-meter x 0.505-meter checkerboard
with an active marker on each angle as a calibration frame.

Figure 1 The set-up of the observation zone

Prior to the data acquisition, 5 active markers are attached to the lateral-lower
extremities of the subject. The first marker is placed on the hip joint, the second
marker is placed on the knee joint, the third marker is placed on the ankle joint,
the fourth marker is placed near the toe, and the fifth marker is placed near the
heel of the subject.
 2D Analysis of Lower Extremities During Derap Using DLT Method 3

Figure 2 The placement of the markers on the lateral lower extremity of the
subject

To minimize the noise produced during data acquisition, the subject has to put
on tight leggings to minimize the effect of clothing movement on the relative
position of the marker to the body segment. Moreover, the ground below the
observation zone is covered with black clothing to prevent the reflection of the
marker from entering the camera. The room is maintained as dark as possible by
isolating every light source apart from the markers.

During the data acquisition, the subject repeats the movement for 3 cycles of the
marching song at the tempo of 115 beats per minute in place. The cycle time
can be calculated using the formula below.

Cycle time (seconds/cycle) = 120/cadence (steps per minute) (1)

Data processing in this study utilizes MatLab. The position of each marker is
obtained by using the camera parameters and the least square method. The
velocity of each marker is obtained from the derivation of its position that has
been corrected by using smoothing splines. The acceleration of each marker is
obtained from the derivation of its velocity that has been corrected by using
smoothing splines.

3 Result and Discussion

The trajectories of the markers during the first sequence of derap at the
beginning of the cycle are displayed in the following figures.
4 Denis Irham Naufan, et al.

Figure 3 The numbering of markers during a sequence of derap

Figure 4 The trajectories of the markers at the beginning of the marching song
along the x-axis over time
 2D Analysis of Lower Extremities During Derap Using DLT Method 5

Figure 5 The trajectories of the markers at the beginning of the marching song
along the y-axis over time

Figure 6 The positions of the markers in the x-y plane at the beginning of the
marching song
Evaluating the spatiotemporal parameters during this period, the writer found
that the cadence of the subject is equivalent to the tempo of the marching song
at 115 steps per minute. Employing equation (1), the writer found that the cycle
time is 1.04 seconds. Reading from figure 4, the writer found that the swing
6 Denis Irham Naufan, et al.

time is approximately 0.31 seconds, which constitutes 29.81% of the cycle

time.

The body position becomes steady during the second cycle of the marching
song (approximately from 60 to 110 seconds). The trajectories of the markers in
this period are displayed in the following figures.

Figure 7 The trajectories of the markers during steady-state period along the x-
axis over time

Figure 8 The trajectories of the markers during steady-state period along the y-
axis over time
 2D Analysis of Lower Extremities During Derap Using DLT Method 7

Figure 9 The positions of the markers in the x-y plane during steady-state
period
The variation of horizontal displacement is visibly larger than the variation of
vertical displacement. This is because the body of the subject tends to sway
forward and backward throughout the marching song. Presenting boundaries in
the horizontal direction during data acquisition can minimize this.

The linear kinematic parameters of the hip joint during the steady-state period
are displayed in figure 9. From these figures, the writer found that the mean
height of the hip joint is 808.86 mm. On the other hand, the mean height of the
hip joint at the beginning of the marching song (displayed in figure 4) is 728.95
mm. This shows that as the body position becomes steady, the hip joint settles
at a higher (increasing 79.91 mm) position than previously assumed in the
starting position.
8 Denis Irham Naufan, et al.

Figure 10 The linear kinematic parameters of the hip joint during steady-state
period along the x-axis over time
The angular kinematic parameters of the knee joint during steady-state period
are displayed in figure 11. From this figure, the write finds that the relative
angle between the thigh and the leg is 124.52 degrees. On the other hand, at the
beginning of the marching song, the leg is positioned at a 110.57-degree angle
to the thigh (13.95 degrees less). This shows that as the body position becomes
steady, the leg flexes at a smaller angle with respect to the midline of the body.
Thus, the relative angle between the leg and the thigh increases.

Figure 11 The angular kinematic parameters of the knee joint during steady-state
period over time

Figure 12 The relative knee angle at the beginning of the marching song over
time
 2D Analysis of Lower Extremities During Derap Using DLT Method 9

4 Conclusion
The body position becomes steady during the second cycle of the marching
song (approximately from 60 to 110 seconds). From the beginning until this
period, the height of the hip joint increases around 80 mm before settling at 808
mm above the ground. The relative knee angle also increases around 14 degrees
before settling at 124 degrees. Therefore, the starting position should be made
closer to these values in order to minimize group height variation during derap.
Taking into consideration that the body height of each individual in a group
may vary greatly, the writer suggests to put emphasize on achieving a uniform
relative knee angle at 124 degrees.

5 References
[1] Robertson, D. Gordon E., et al., Research Methods in
Biomechanics, 2nd ed., Human Kinetics, 9-33, 2014.