MOVELLA TECHNOLOGIES BV

Their core work

Movella Technologies BV, operating under the Xsens brand (xsens.com), is a Dutch technology SME specializing in inertial measurement units (IMUs) and motion capture systems — wearable sensors that precisely track body and object movement in 3D space. Their hardware and software are used across robotics, biomechanics, industrial ergonomics, and motion analysis, making them a specialist sensor supplier rather than a research institution. In EU projects, they contribute proprietary motion sensing technology as an enabling component: in AWESCO they supported control and orientation sensing for airborne wind energy kites, and in An.Dy they provided the wearable motion capture backbone for studying human-robot physical interaction. They represent the commercial sensor industry in research consortia, bridging lab-scale robotics research with deployable hardware.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (2015–2018), Movella's contribution was oriented toward physical systems control — specifically airborne energy platforms where motion sensing supports flight dynamics and optimisation. By their second project (2017–2021), the focus had shifted clearly toward human-centered robotics: body motion capture for anticipatory human-robot interaction, with explicit keywords around assistive robotics. This mirrors a broader commercial trajectory for Xsens, moving from industrial/engineering sensing toward human motion in collaborative and assistive contexts. The trend suggests growing investment in robotics, exoskeletons, and human-machine interface applications rather than purely mechanical or energy systems.

Movella is moving toward human-centered motion capture applications — assistive robotics, ergonomics, and physical human-robot interaction — which positions them as a natural partner for projects involving exoskeletons, collaborative manufacturing robots, or wearable health monitoring.

How they like to work

Movella participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator, which is consistent with their role as a commercial technology provider supplying enabling hardware to academic-led research. With 25 unique partners across 11 countries across just two projects, they integrate into large, international consortia rather than tight bilateral collaborations. This suggests they are sought out for their proprietary sensor technology rather than research leadership, and they are comfortable operating as a specialist industrial node within diverse academic-industrial consortia.

Movella has built a surprisingly broad network for a two-project participant — 25 unique partners across 11 countries — reflecting the large consortium structures of ITN training networks and RIA projects. Their reach spans at least Western and Northern Europe, consistent with the geographic distribution typical of MSCA and ICT research consortia.

What sets them apart

Movella/Xsens is one of very few commercial IMU and motion capture hardware companies to participate directly in H2020 research projects, bringing a market-ready sensing platform that most academic partners cannot develop in-house. This makes them highly valuable in consortia that need validated, deployable motion tracking rather than prototype sensor work. For a project coordinator, partnering with Movella means immediate access to the de facto standard in wearable inertial motion capture — technology already used commercially in film, sports, and industrial applications — with a team that understands both research requirements and product-grade reliability.

Highlights from their portfolio

• An.Dy
  The largest funded project (EUR 316,250) and the clearest expression of Movella's strategic direction — providing wearable motion capture infrastructure for cutting-edge human-robot physical collaboration research under a competitive RIA grant.
• AWESCO
  An unusual application of motion sensing technology to airborne wind energy kite control, demonstrating Movella's ability to contribute to non-robotics engineering domains where precise orientation data is mission-critical.