title: xSens
parent: Hardware.WebHome
 syntax: xwiki/2.1

Introduction

This page is a practical guide for using the Xsens MVN Awinda mocap suit for research. It is intended to complement the official Xsens documentation.

Availability, Support and Use-case

The Xsens MVN Awinda suit is available through the SOLO lab. Contact labsupport@fsw.leidenuniv.nl to check availability or book the suit for a session.

Typical use-cases include full-body motion capture, live streaming of skeletal data into Unity or other 3D environments, and physiology studies that require body movement alongside sensor recordings.

Safety

Installation & License

The Xsens license is stored on a USB stick — this must be plugged in whenever the suit is used.

Install MVN Studio 2019.2.1 to use the suit. If the suit is not properly recognised, also install the latest MT Software Suite for the MTw Awinda.

Body Measurements

Go to Motion Capture Configuration → New Session → Body Dimensions (video).

Mandatory measurements:

• Body Height
• Foot / Shoe Length

The system can infer remaining measurements, but for anything beyond a quick demo, please take the full set. See the body dimensions guide for details.

Placing Straps and Trackers

(Straps | Motion Trackers)

Sensors need to be stable on the body:

• Place on rigid / flat parts of the body
• Place under straps or shoe laces where possible
• If in doubt: choose the tighter MVN shirt over the looser one

For most trackers, orientation does not matter prior to calibration. The exception is the hip: place the tracker so that XSENS is legible (right side up).

Turn on each tracker by pressing its button until it starts blinking.

Sampling Rate

See MVN Suit Configurations for full details.

• Partial suit (upper body without hands, or lower body): up to 100 Hz
• Full body or any configuration with hand tracking: up to 60 Hz

Upper Body Only

• Head: headband worn like a sweatband; tracker inserted in the headband. Orientation does not matter.
• Sternum: tracker at the front of the shirt, near the throat.
• Hip: strap covering the sacrum (between the hips, just above the tailbone); tracker placed vertically between strap windings so that XSENS reads right side up.
• Shoulder: tracker on top of the shirt on the velcro patch (not covered by strap).
• Upper arm: strap in the middle of the upper arm (between shoulder and elbow); tracker between strap windings on the flat part of the upper arm (between tricep and bicep).
• Lower arm: strap just above the wrist; tracker between strap windings on top of the wrist.
• Hand (optional): glove on hand with thumb exposed; tracker on top of the glove. Note: adding hand tracking to an upper-body-only configuration reduces the update rate to 60 Hz.
• Fingers (optional): see Manus documentation.

Lower Body Only

• Hip: same as above.
• Upper leg: strap in the middle of the upper leg (between hip and knee); tracker between strap windings on the outside of the thigh on the flattest part possible.
• Lower leg: strap just below the knee; tracker between strap windings on the inside of the leg, just below and to the side of the kneecap, on the flat surface of the shin bone.
• Foot: tracker on top of the shoe, under the laces. Use the laces to ensure the tracker does not wiggle.

Full Body

A full body configuration combines the above. Note that partial configurations support higher update rates (up to 100 Hz vs. 60 Hz for full body).

Troubleshooting: Tracker Not Detected

• Right-click the tracker in MVN and select Accept on Master.
• Place the tracker in the cradle (with the antenna).

Calibrating and Recording

(Setting up a recording session | Calibration)

Go to File → Start Motion Capture.

In the Motion Capture Configuration window:

• Set the name to the participant / actor / participant number
• Scenario: Single Level (for most cases)

  • If the avatar is floating, the scenario may be set to 'No Level' instead of 'Single Level'

• Suit Configuration: upper / lower / full body (see above)
• Accept Systems: any, or Awinda
• Body Dimensions: enter measurements as described above
• Wait until all trackers on the right-hand side of the window turn green

Calibration Procedure

You can calibrate yourself (use the timer) or assist someone else.

Go to Calibration Window → Calibrate and follow the on-screen routine:

1. Stand in the N-pose:
   • Stand upright, looking forward
   • Shoulders relaxed
   • Arms loosely at your sides
   • Feet facing forward, roughly one foot-width apart
2. Hold the N-pose for 4 seconds
3. Walk around for 15 seconds
4. Wait for calibration to process
5. Hold the N-pose again for 4 seconds
6. Walk around for 5–10 seconds

Tips & Tricks

• Tighter shirt for stable trackers — If trackers shift during recording, switch to the tighter MVN shirt. Loose fabric causes sensor drift.
• Charge trackers before each session — Low battery can cause intermittent dropouts. Check charge levels in MVN before starting.
• Short test recording — Do a 30-second test recording and playback before a full session. This catches calibration or tracker placement issues early.

FAQ

Further Reading

• Getting high quality data
• Using a prop sensor
• Exporting data from Xsens software
• Live data streaming
• Importing into Unity
• Streaming into Unity
• Output parameters
• Manual