ProVec 6: Force Plate Acquisition & Analysis
ProVec is a powerful software package for use with most commercial force platforms. It not only allows collection of force platform data, but also displays the data in real time and provides a comprehensive analysis package.
Backed by over 20 years of development, ProVec comes with a comprehensive suite of analysis routines suitable for a variety of applications in gait, sport, rehabilitation, biomechanics, and research - with an ever-expanding list of routines shaped by input from the user community.
ProVec supports platforms from the leading manufacturers - Bertec, AMTI, and Kistler - and can be configured for use with one to four platforms simultaneously, enabling complex multi-platform constellation setups with drag-and-drop positioning. Data can be acquired via USB, with automatic retrieval of the calibration matrix for supported devices. Alternatively, analogue input is supported through an A/D converter, with multi-channel gain configuration, calibration file import for supported devices, and a built-in calibration matrix editor for legacy or bespoke devices.
Assessment modes include raw data capture and playback, 2D and 3D vector profiles, centre of pressure and balance analysis, frequency spectra (FFT), force moment and torque analysis, gait analysis, sports analysis, and real-time patient bio-feedback. Structured test protocols - Core Skills - guide subjects through jump, press-up, step speed, and balance assessments with automatic event detection, fatigue rate plotting, and best-attempt selection.
The gait analysis module measures stride length and velocity, mediolateral and anteroposterior forces, braking and propulsion impulse, zero crossing time, vertical force and torque, and total vector force and moment - providing a complete picture of the subject's walking pattern across one or more platforms.
Three balance test modes are available: Stability Target (real-time biofeedback roundel with countdown), Stability Position (counts how many times CoP stays within a defined area), and Dynamic Stability (subject moves their CoP into user-defined on-screen targets). Biofeedback modes extend further to bar graphs of any input channels, continuous vector display with optional data capture, and the full Core Skills sport test suite.
Raw and analysed data can be exported to a variety of industry-standard formats for subsequent analysis in third-party packages, in addition to fully customisable branded reports printable, emailable, or exportable to PDF and MS Word.
ProVec is also an ideal teaching aid for biomechanics students - the real-time visualisations and structured test protocols make it straightforward to see exactly how theoretical concepts such as ground reaction forces, centre of pressure, and force moments translate into measured, observable data.
Brief
Researchers, clinicians, and sports scientists needed a reliable, high-accuracy tool for capturing and analysing multi-axis force platform data - capable of supporting diverse workflows across gait labs, rehabilitation clinics, and sports performance environments - without requiring bespoke integration work for each hardware setup.
Approach
ProVec was built on C# .NET with a WPF front-end, giving direct access to hardware interfaces and the rendering performance required for real-time multi-axis force data at high sample rates. The architecture separates the acquisition pipeline, analysis engine, and visualisation layer - allowing new analysis routines to be added without touching the data capture stack.
The 3D vector display and heat-map visualisation are rendered using OpenGL, enabling interactive rotation, zoom, and pan of force constellations with multiple platforms positioned and orientated independently in virtual space. The heat-map maps cumulative force distribution across the platform surface, giving an immediate visual read of pressure concentration and balance asymmetry. Combined virtual-platform mode sums forces across platforms in real time, presenting a unified ground reaction vector for multi-step gait analysis.
Core Skills test protocols use threshold-based event detection to identify individual reps automatically - eliminating manual marking and ensuring consistent, repeatable results. Fatigue rate is derived from rep-to-rep force decay across the test duration and plotted alongside the raw trace.
The platform constellation configurator uses a drag-and-drop canvas backed by a coordinate transformation layer, so any combination of Bertec, AMTI, or Kistler plates - in any physical arrangement - resolves correctly into a shared reference frame for all downstream analyses.
ProVec was deployed across a range of real-world settings - used for sports science research at Crystal Palace, amputee rehabilitation at Chapel Allerton NHS Hospital in Leeds, and for training sports scientists and biomechanists at Leeds Trinity University.
My Role
Tech Lead - MIE Medical Research- Technical Leadership: Led the software development team, overseeing feature delivery, bug fixing, release cycles, and key technology decisions across the product lifecycle.
- Requirements, Specification & Architecture: Worked with biomechanists, clinicians, and sports scientists to define requirements, write technical specifications for analysis algorithms and hardware interfaces, and shape the overall system architecture across acquisition, analysis, and visualisation.
- Quality & Delivery: Directed testing and QA across unit, integration, and user acceptance testing, reviewed code for correctness and performance, and managed versioning, packaging, and software distribution.
- Hardware & Product Integration: Evaluated and integrated hardware SDKs and protocols from force platform manufacturers including Bertec, AMTI, and Kistler, ensuring reliable communication and accurate analysis.
- Stakeholder Engagement & Support: Collaborated with partner organisations to gather feedback, inform the product roadmap, produce documentation, and deliver training and ongoing support.
Technical Specifications
Technology Stack
Gallery
Key Measurements
- Ground Reaction Forces - Fx, Fy, Fz (N)
- Force Moments - Mx, My, Mz (N·m)
- Centre of Pressure (CoP, cm)
- Length of Path (LoP, cm)
- Power, Velocity, Work, Total Force
- Total Moment and Friction
- X-Y Force Comparison
- Stride Length & Velocity
- Mediolateral Force
- Anteroposterior Force
- Braking & Propulsion Impulse
- Zero Crossing Time
- Vertical Torque
- Total Vector Force & Moment
- Jump Height / Explosive Power
- Press-Up Fatigue Rate
- Step Speed & Fatigue Rate
- Balance (CoP velocity & displacement)
Notable Highlights
- Compatible with Bertec, AMTI & Kistler force platforms
- Up to four simultaneous platforms in configurable constellations
- Real-time 3D vector display & heat-map rendered in OpenGL - rotatable, zoomable, per-platform or virtual combined
- Centre of Pressure, Length of Path, FFT, force moment & torque analysis
- Core Skills protocols - jump, press-up, step speed & balance - with automatic event detection
- Real-time patient bio-feedback with live CoP and velocity visualisation
- Branded report export to print, PDF, email & MS Word
- Raw & analysed data export to industry-standard formats for third-party analysis
- USB and analogue input; calibration matrix editor for mixed-manufacturer setups
- Three balance test modes - Stability Target, Stability Position, Dynamic Stability
- Full gait analysis - stride length, braking/propulsion impulse, vertical torque & more
- Ideal teaching aid - real-time visualisations bridge biomechanics theory and measured data
ProVec is a product of MIE Medical Research Limited. Bertec, AMTI, and Kistler are trademarks of their respective owners.
