Non-Invasive Camera Motion Analysis Platform
What is NICMA
From energy expenditure to biomass prediction
NICMA estimates animal energy expenditure from underwater video. Through research and expert consultancy, we help relate these estimates to biomass demand and ecosystem capacity.
Why Motion Analysis Needed a New Approach
Traditional movement-tracking methods rely on physical tags, multi-camera rigs or specialised laboratory setups. These systems can be costly and intrusive, and are often difficult to use in real marine environments, where animals move freely and naturally.
NICMA offers a new approach: non-contact motion analysis and energy estimates from a single underwater video.
Our vision is to make biomechanical insights accessible, scalable and non-intrusive — supporting research that respects both scientific rigour and animal welfare.
All NICMA outputs are estimates based on video analysis and model assumptions. They are not direct measurements and should be interpreted by qualified scientists in the context of each study.
Our Vision
Building a global, non-intrusive motion intelligence network for the world’s oceans.
NICMA aims to empower a global community of marine observers — from scientists to citizen divers — to contribute high-value movement data that advances research and supports conservation. Through physics-guided modelling and single-camera underwater analysis, we envision a future where useful biomechanical insight can be gained passively, ethically and at ecosystem scale.
About NICMA
NICMA is a non-invasive motion analysis system built on physics-guided computer vision and high-dimensional kinematic modelling. It extracts motion signals from a single camera — without markers, depth sensors or controlled laboratory setups.
Our mission is to make biomechanical analysis more accessible: in natural environments, underwater habitats, research facilities and field conditions where traditional systems are difficult to use.
By combining optics-aware signal modelling, multi-frame motion-field reconstruction and a learning-based kinematic engine, NICMA delivers interpretable movement and energy estimates — enabling biologists, conservation practitioners and engineers to study animal movement without physical contact.
Access & Collaboration
NICMA is available by request and registration through our platform. We welcome collaboration with researchers, marine organisations and educational institutions interested in applying our motion-based analysis to their own video datasets.