Mo-cap isn’t just for fantasy films and video games anymore.
You might know motion capture as the tech that transformed Andy Serkis into Gollum, but now it can transform everyday people into animated avatars in virtual worlds, and all in real-time. Motion capture—which uses body sensors, ultra-precise cameras, and modeling software to create 3D animations from real-life human movement—is now taking on location-based virtual reality, or LBVR.
PCWorld visited a leading motion capture company called Vicon in Oxford, England to learn how mocap has evolved to take on this new frontier in entertainment.
If you’ve watched behind-the-scenes footage of how motion capture (or mocap) works, you’ve probably seen actors in skintight lycra suits covered with golf ball-sized sensors. Normally, dozens of infrared cameras track these sensors to model an actor’s movements. But now Vicon has a new system called Origin that requires only one sensor on each limb, plus one for a VR headset.
,
,
The three hardware components of Vicon’s new LBVR tracking system.
Origin combines four components: a small, lightweight tracking camera; a wearable tracking cluster using infrared light; software that integrates with game engines; and a wireless hub that facilitates communication across the system.
Vicon says the Origin platform will make multi-person, interactive experiences more widespread and affordable, and easier to experience. It’s safe to say Vicon is betting LBVR will be the next big thing for mocap.
“Not to overblow it, but I think without technology like this, LBVR can’t operate,” says Derek Potter, head of product at Vicon.
,
,
Vicon demos the new Origin system at SIGGRAPH 2018 in Toronto.
VR arcades are mocap’s next target
Vicon is hoping it’ll take VR arcades and theme parks by storm. If you’ve never seen a VR arcade before, imagine running around a warehouse while playing a multiplayer game—but your friends aren’t human. Instead they appear as robots, aliens, or virtually anything you can render on a computer. All in real-time. All through your VR headset. And all with realistic movement.
VR arcades aren’t totally new. The Void has “hyper-realistic” VR venues in Los Angeles and Orlando where teams can play Ghostbusters in VR and even a Star Wars game. Guests put on a headset, haptic equipment to “feel” the VR, and a gun that’s equipped with sensors. Tickets in Los Angeles go for $33 a pop for about 25 minutes of play.
You may have also heard of the Dragon Quest VR arcade game that opened in Shinjuku, Japan earlier this year. This facility uses an earlier version of Vicon cameras, and while the system tracks body and weapons movement, the motion capture isn’t as finessed as what we’ll see from the new Origin technology—in large part because Dragon Quest VR players only have sensors on their backpacks, headsets, and weapons.
,
Source: Pc World.idg