OMG8 Aug 2011 15:39
Vicon showcases 'Mobile Mocap' technology
- OMG's Vicon unit demonstrates new mobile motion capture technology at leading trade show -
- Portable applications open up a new wave of opportunity for motion capture outside of the traditional laboratory environment -
OMG plc, (LSE: OMG) ("OMG" or the "Group"), the technology group providing image understanding products for the entertainment, defence, life science and engineering industries will this week showcase a range of mobile motion capture technologies ("mobile mocap") at the 38th annual SIGGRAPH conference in Vancouver, Canada. The technologies represent many years of development effort and offer new and exciting ways to make motion capture a possibility in real-world situations, not just in a studio environment.
The technologies on display include both new and recently deployed solutions, and have a broad range of potential end-market applications. The centrepiece of the mobile motion capture technologies is a small, lipstick sized camera capable of capturing 720p (1280x720) footage at 60 frames per second. This camera not only has potential application in the medical industry and military surveillance but also in the entertainment sector for less obtrusive, more accurate facial animation data.
In stand-alone format, this small camera could be embedded into a car to move ergonomics testing out of a test lab and onto a real road environment, to help more accurately capture authentic data around how a driver interacts with a car in real world conditions. Up to twelve cameras could be synchronized together to simultaneously deliver data that could also be combined with external metadata such as GPS, miles per hour and traffic patterns.
By combining the camera with a head-mounted device, the technology could also reliably capture both the nuances and contours of facial activity for the design of digital characters in games, films and on television. Prototypes of the technology have already been used in such a way, helping to provide the facial capture for Jim Carrey in Disney's "A Christmas Story" and for Jeff Bridges' performance in the movie "Tron Legacy."
The SIGGRAPH conference where these technologies can be seen takes place between 9 and 11 August.