What is Motion Capture?

Motion capture, performance capture, or mocap are terms used to describe the process of recording movement and translating it onto a digital model. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robotics. In filmmaking it refers to recording actions of human actors, and using that information to animate digital character models in 2D or 3D computer animation. When it includes face and fingers for capturing subtle expressions, it is often referred to as "performance capture". It saves on production turn around time it would take to 3D animate but cutting out the difficulties of animating by trying to mimic real life motions.

In mocap sessions, movements of one or more actors are sampled many times per second; motion capture records only the movements of the actor, not his/her visual appearance. This animation data is mapped to a 3D model so that the model performs the same actions as the actor.

Our System:

Our 21 camera Optical Motion Capture System by PhaseSpace provides the cleanest data and the best performance we've seen on market. The system is capable of simultaneously recording two people. By tracking each marker uniquely and eliminating marker swapping, it captures at 120 frames per second and has the ability to track and record fingers. While the camera system is usually based in our studio, it is capable of shooting on location, and since the markers are LEDs, they operate in most daylight conditions. Additionally, the visible markers can be swapped out with infrared LEDs.

Specs:

Advantages of our Mocap System:

• Real-time tracking of multiple subjects & objects
• Patented active marker technology eliminates marker-swapping for cleaner data
• Solid, precise motion data with sub-millimeter resolution
• Streamlined operation means a single person can setup and run the system
• Portable system enabling indoor and outdoor motion capture
• 480hz capture rate accurately tracks the fastest motions
• Stream motion data directly into third-party software such as MotionBuilder, JACK, Visual3D, etc...

Flexible, Scalable and Powerful

• Capture up to 4 people, more with multiple systems
• Track very high speed motion at up to 480 frames per second
• Capture spaces can be anywhere from 8'x8' to 50'x50', even larger with overlapping camera setups or multiple systems
• Scales from 2 cameras to 48+ cameras
• Used by demanding, high-profile customers including NASA, Naval Research Lab, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Disney, Harmonix, University of Cambridge, Stanford, and UC Berkeley