Xsens Integrations for Research

Capture Once and Analyze Everywhere

Stream or export Xsens motion data into the biomechanics, modeling, and ergonomics software your research already runs on. Capture movement once. Send it everywhere your analysis lives. 

Why connect Xsens to your existing tools?

Your study rarely ends with raw kinematics. You need joint angles in Visual 3D, muscle forces in AnyBody, or an ergonomic verdict in Siemens Process Simulate. With Xsens integrations you can stream accurate, full-body motion data into those packages directly, so you spend your time on analysis instead of file wrangling. 

Xsens Analyze records lab-quality kinematics anywhere, then streams the data live or exports it in the formats your software expects. The result is a shorter path between a recording session and a finding you can publish. 

Integrations at a glance

A quick map of the research integrations and what each one gives you. Featured connections are shaded. 

Connection method varies by tool and software version. Confirm the exact live-stream and export options with our team for your setup.

Explore all integrations

Why do researchers build on Xsens integrations? 

Outputs are validated through peer-reviewed research, so the joint angles, segment positions, and accelerations you import are ready for in-depth analysis. 

• Live stream or export, your choice：Send motion data in real time for closed-loop setups and biofeedback, or export recorded sessions for offline processing. 
• Hardware and software in one workflow：Combine Xsens motion capture with third-party hardware such as EMG, so kinematics and muscle activity land in the same recording. 
• Capture beyond the lab：Sensor-fusion algorithms maintain accuracy even in magnetically disturbed environments, which allows you to collect data at home, in the field, or outdoors and still do the analysis with clean data.

Live stream or export, the choice is yours 

Xsens Analyze gives you two ways to connect, and you can mix them across a project: 

• Live stream. Push real-time kinematics into compatible software for instant visualization, biofeedback, or synchronized capture with other hardware.
• Export. Save a recording and bring it into your analysis package for joint kinetics, musculoskeletal modeling, or ergonomic assessment.

Both paths use the same validated data, so a quick live session and a deep offline study draw on one source of truth.

Integrations built for research 

Five connections cover the workflows most labs ask for first. Each one takes Xsens kinematics and turns it into the specific output. 

Delsys 

Surface EMG. Synchronize muscle activity with full-body kinematics so you can see how movement and muscle effort relate inside the same recording. Useful for gait, sports performance and science, and rehabilitation studies. 

BoB Biomechanics 

Musculoskeletal modeling. Drive a Biomechanics of Bodies model with Xsens motion to estimate muscle forces, joint loads, and activations from movement you captured in the field. 

AnyBody 

The AnyBody Modeling System computes internal loads, muscle forces, and joint reactions. Feed it Xsens kinematics to ground a musculoskeletal simulation in real, recorded movement. 

Siemens Process Simulate 

Digital manufacturing and ergonomics. Bring real human motion into Process Simulate to validate workstation reach, posture, and ergonomic risk before a production line is built. 

Visual 3D 

Biomechanics analysis. Process Xsens kinematics in Visual 3D to compute joint angles, kinetics, and custom biomechanical models for clinical and sports research. 

See the full integrations overview to learn more about the wider set of research and ergonomics tools that can be connected with Xsens. 

Does it hold up in real research? 

Researchers use these workflows in published work. The University of Innsbruck assessed the reliability of Xsens Link for running kinematics. At Auburn University, Iván Nail-Ulloa measured the strain of lifting heavy manhole covers to make the task safer. At Saxion University of Applied Sciences, teams combined Xsens motion capture with pressure sensor data to quantify kickboxing rehabilitation. More than 500 universities, institutes, and research facilities use Xsens today. 

The hardware and software behind your data

XSENS LINK

• Full-body eSuit for high-intensity movement, with a wireless range up to 150 meters and offline capture for work outside the lab.  

XSENS AWINDA

• Easy-to-wear, strap-based system for everyday movement analysis.

XSENS ANALYZE  

• Software that visualizes movement live, then streams and exports into third-party analysis tools.

See Xsens products for research 

FAQs

Which software can I connect to?  

Xsens Analyze connects to biomechanics, modeling, and ergonomics tools including Delsys, AnyBody, BoB Biomechanics, Siemens Process Simulate, Visual 3D, OpenSim, and more. The table above lists the current set, and the integrations overview holds the full list. 

Can I export my data to other tools? 

Yes. Xsens Analyze exports recordings in formats used across research so your analysis software can read the data. Common research exports include C3D and MVNX. Confirm the exact formats for your version with the Xsens team. 

Can I stream motion data in real time? 

Yes. For compatible tools you can live stream kinematics for instant visualization, biofeedback, or synchronized capture with other hardware. 

Do I need a lab to collect usable data? 

No. Xsens captures lab-quality kinematics anywhere, and the sensor fusion holds accuracy in magnetically disturbed environments, so you can record at home, on the field, or outdoors. 

Is the data accurate enough for publication? 

Xsens outputs are validated through peer-reviewed research and used by more than 500 universities and research institutes. 

Can I record muscle activity alongside motion? 

Yes. Through EMG integrations such as Delsys and Cometa Systems, muscle activity and full-body kinematics land in the same synchronized recording.