Knoxlabs is now trained on Xsens Link and Xsens Humanoid software. The Xsens team recently walked us through the next-generation full-body suit and the robotics software in a hands-on session. We worked through suit setup, sensor placement, calibration, live motion capture, and the software decisions behind a humanoid workflow. The suit and Humanoid license are now at our Los Angeles-area office, so we can show customers the capture side of this process on real equipment.
Why does that matter? A video of a person moving a robot is compelling, but the practical questions begin before the robot moves: Is the suit fitted correctly? Is the captured body pose stable? What data can the software stream or export? And what still has to be built for a specific machine? Here is what our training clarified.
How Xsens Link captures full-body movement
Xsens Link is a wearable inertial motion-capture system. Its sensors measure body movement and the software reconstructs a moving human pose. The next-generation Link includes 17 one-click body sensors plus one prop sensor, and Xsens lists a 240 Hz update rate. Those are specifications for the capture system, not a promise about the speed or accuracy of an entire robot-control loop. See Xsens Link specifications.
The hands-on part of training made the setup sequence tangible. Fit and sensor placement come before calibration; calibration comes before trusting what the avatar shows. We checked how movement appeared in the software and how the operator's environment and network affect a live session. If the goal is a useful recording or live stream, those steps are not small details. They are how you know whether the data represents the movement you intended to capture.
Humanoid Live and Pro serve different goals
Xsens Humanoid provides the software layer for robotics use cases. Humanoid Live is aimed at real-time streaming and teleoperation experiments. Humanoid Pro supports those paths and adds HD reprocessing and richer exports for dataset and simulation workflows. Xsens lists ROS streaming for both editions; exported formats such as MVNX, BVH, MP4, and spreadsheets are Pro capabilities. The hardware and a suitable software license are separate parts of a complete setup. Compare the current Xsens software options.
| Windows capability | Humanoid Live | Humanoid Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Connect Xsens hardware and record MVN files | Included | Included |
| Subjects / actors | 1 | Up to 2 |
| ROS-compatible motion streaming | Included | Included |
| Supported finger-tracking integration | Included* | Included* |
| HD reprocessing | Not included | Included |
| Export recorded motion | Not included | Included |
| Listed Windows export formats | Not included | MP4, MVNX (extended kinematics), XLSX, BVH, NVIDIA Isaac (.mcap) |
*Compatible glove hardware, software, and setup are separate. This summarizes Xsens's Windows comparison; check your installed release and license. Linux features differ, and neither edition by itself provides robot-specific retargeting or safety controls.
The first question we ask a robotics team is therefore not “Which license is bigger?” It is “What do you need out of the first pilot?” A live operator pose, a reusable motion dataset, and a robot executing a task are three different milestones. They may use the same captured movement, but they require different integration and evaluation work.
Where robot-specific engineering begins
This was the most important distinction in our training. Xsens can capture and deliver human motion. A robot has its own proportions, joint limits, balance constraints, sensors, actuators, and safety requirements. A robotics team has to retarget the human pose to that robot, pass targets to its controller, and validate the behavior in simulation and on hardware. If the goal is AI training, the team must also synchronize and curate the demonstrations with its task observations. Xsens describes the broader robotics workflow here.
For a live teleoperation experiment, that means testing the complete path from operator to machine—not quoting a capture-system latency as if it were the robot's response time. For an offline learning project, it means deciding which motions, camera views, object states, and task labels belong together in the dataset. A clean-looking human avatar alone does not answer either question.
How NVIDIA, ROS, and MANUS can fit
Xsens presents ROS, NVIDIA Isaac Sim, and MuJoCo as integration paths for humanoid teams. They are useful destinations for motion data, but the exact connection still depends on the robot model and the team's software stack. If a project needs detailed grasp and finger motion, MANUS Metagloves Pro can be scoped as an additional hand-capture component. Gloves are not included with Xsens Link, and an Xsens-to-MANUS-to-robot setup needs its own fit, calibration, synchronization, and integration plan. Xsens lists these robotics options and integrations.
We would start with one narrow task. For example: capture a person reaching for an object, stream or export that movement, and see whether a proposed retargeting method produces feasible arm targets in simulation. That is easier to evaluate than a broad promise to “train a humanoid.” It also shows whether the next constraint is capture quality, license capability, robot mapping, hand detail, or the data pipeline.
Explore the capture setup
The suit, software license, and optional hand tracking are separate parts of a robotics workflow. Choose the configuration around the data you need to stream or record.
Book an Xsens session with Knoxlabs in Los Angeles
Our team has completed Xsens training, and we have a next-generation Link suit and Humanoid license in our Los Angeles-area office. In a scheduled session, we can walk through the available suit and software workflow, discuss your robot or research goal, and help identify the hardware, software, and integration pieces the project calls for. We will confirm the available setup and visit details before the appointment. A physical humanoid robot, MANUS gloves, or a finished robot integration is not part of the standard session unless specifically arranged.
See Xsens Link and Humanoid software in action
Meet with our Xsens-trained team in the Los Angeles area or remotely. We confirm the available setup and visit details before your session.
Looking at a broader equipment evaluation? Use Try a Device; our team confirms the available format for each setup.
Already using Xsens? Explore the Xsens collection for suit sizes, software, licenses, and accessories. For a broader robotics hardware plan, see the Robotics Hub and Robotics Solutions, or tell us what your current setup needs.
Frequently asked questions
Does the suit control a humanoid robot by itself?
No. It captures human motion for a live or recorded workflow. Robot-specific retargeting, control, and safety still need to be designed and tested.
Should we choose Humanoid Live or Pro?
Start with the output you need. Live is positioned for real-time streaming and teleoperation; Pro adds the processing and export capabilities used for reusable datasets and simulation. We can check the exact edition, operating system, and license requirements against your project. See Xsens's comparison.
Can we test our own robot in the LA session?
Tell us the platform and the test you have in mind. We will review feasibility and safety before confirming any on-site robot work. The standard session demonstrates the available Xsens capture and software setup.