A novel method to determine instantaneous treadmill belt velocity

Treadmills are of utmost importance in several fields of research. Treadmills can differ considerable in their dimension, motor power and belt velocity regulation [1]. Therefore, we developed a method that allows researchers to quantify instantaneous belt velocity quickly using motion capture technology. We tested the method on three different treadmills for a variety of walking and running speeds. Using the novel method, we found considerable differences between treadmills, which highlights the need for belt velocity quantification in experimental protocols involving treadmills. The software algorithm developed in this project will be made freely available for the research community.