Sony Launches Motion-Capture Gear To Bring Realism To Avatars In The Metaverse
Have you ever watched a blockbuster Hollywood film and been completely blown away by the motion-capture abilities used to harness the incredibly lifelike movement of the characters? Well, Sony is now giving you a chance to try it out for yourself.
Its incoming Mocopi gear is a series of six motion-capture devices that will turn you into an amateur motion-capture creator for 49,500 yen, or US$360.
The devices are just over an inch wide, or about the size of an Apple AirTag, and are attached to your head, wrist, hip, lower back, and ankles via hook-and-loop straps. These link up via Bluetooth to a dedicated app on your phone that will display a live preview of the user’s movements and apply them to a virtual anime character.
You won’t exactly be getting the same accuracy as high-budget Hollywood equipment might provide. Still, it’s an affordable option for budding filmmakers, game developers, and VTubers (Virtual YouTubers) looking to add life to their channels.
And for all the VTubers out there, the system can capture your character in apps like VRChat through a software development kit (SDK) released on December 15. The data can also be imported into 3D animation programs such as Unity Game Engine and MotionBuilder.
Video files will be saved as an MP4 file with a 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution and a frame rate of 30 fps.
Sony states that the sensors have about 10 hours of battery life, depending on their use. They also have an IP65 rating, which means that they are protected against dust and light splashes of water.
Mocopi is hitting the markets sometime in January 2023. Unfortunately, the company is only releasing it to the Japanese market, and there has yet to be a word on whether it will go international.
