Wearable MoCap suits to put animators out of a job
by Akela Talamasca 
Nov 29th 2007 at 4:00PM
Filed under: At a glance, Video, Fury, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Opinion, Second Life
Well, not really. One always goes for the sensational headline. This New Scientist Tech article describes a new method of capturing motion that doesn't require a huge room, a team of software engineers, and a marked ability to refrain from feeling silly about wearing the little balls all over oneself. Instead, this system is vastly more portable, captures a wider range of motion, and doesn't make the wearer feel like too much of a feeb (presumably). There's even a video to see.Okay, that's great and all, but why is this story on Massively? Because someday I envision this suit, or a modified version of it, being worn by a Second Life resident to more accurately portray her avatar's movement in-world. Or maybe a shirt-only version that allows an elaborate system of hand and arm gestures to simulate the casting of spells in Fury. The possibilities are astounding, and probably inevitable. And honestly, from the look of many of us, I'd say that anything requiring us to exercise our bodies while playing is a welcome invention.
[Via Slashdot]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Moo Money said on 10:53AM 11-29-2007
This company makes mocap animations for SL: http://www.sinewavecompany.com/
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Jeremy said on 5:24PM 11-29-2007
For some reason the whole using your body as a controller has seemed kind of lame to me. I don't want to stand in front of my computer doing the running man for 2-3 hours, and I can imagine the people who play WoW for 12 hours+ definitely do not want.
I wish they would just make a cap that would translate in your brain what you wanted to do in game, but I don't see that happening.
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Matt Warner said on 9:05PM 11-29-2007
You know I make these paper hats... )
Gr1zz said on 5:19PM 11-29-2007
Sometimes you really need a good animator to get things done right when it comes to giving a special mob its look and feel.
http://www.thejackcat.com/AC/Home/dailyblast/breakdance.htm
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Ryan Henson Creighton said on 10:23PM 11-29-2007
There was actually some nascent tech demo'd at GDC 2007 this year where the player used a mind control helmet to move objects around a virtual world. Look into it!
The one story that stuck in my mind was about a force feedback full-body gaming suit built for a tennis demo. The developer or the investory (can't remember which) put on the suit and tried to hit the ball. The hydraulic suit siezed up too much and it broke his arm.
He said that at that point, he was through with that technology forever.
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