Wearable MoCap suits to put animators out of a job
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.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-29-2007 @ 10:53AM
Moo Money said...
This company makes mocap animations for SL: http://www.sinewavecompany.com/
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11-29-2007 @ 5:19PM
Gr1zz said...
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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11-29-2007 @ 5:24PM
Jeremy said...
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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11-29-2007 @ 9:05PM
Matt Warner said...
You know I make these paper hats... )
11-29-2007 @ 10:23PM
Ryan Henson Creighton said...
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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