Sony Electronics has launched a mobile motion capture system called Mocopi in the US market, following an earlier rollout in Japan at the beginning of the year. Mocopi has six small and lightweight sensors and a dedicated smartphone app available for iOS and Android, enabling full-body motion tracking using Sony’s proprietary technologies.
Sony Electronics is opening virtual worlds for users to explore like never before, making its Mocopi full-body tracking system, which is compatible with VRChat on Meta headsets, and available now in the US. Previously, Mocopi (whose name originates from the word “mocap,” short for motion capture) was available exclusively in Japan beginning early this year.
With Mocopi, creators can capture their motion data or video of their avatars in motion with a mobile app or send motion data to compatible third-party software in real time.
VRChat is a massive VR community/platform/game containing worlds and avatars created by players that other players can visit and interact with for social engagement. Using Mocopi, a portable, lightweight mocap system, users can easily control a virtual avatar in real time, giving users a new way to interact within VR. Mocopi comprises six colorful button-like tracking tags. The color-coded sensors are a little over an inch in diameter, less than a half-inch thick, and weigh less than .3 ounces. They attach to a person’s head, hip, ankles, and wrists. They can be attached using Velcro bands and a clip that ship with the product.
They use Bluetooth to pair with a dedicate app on a modern iOS and Android smartphone, where motion data is relayed to compatible metaverse services like VRChat and to 3D development software and game tools such as Unity Engine and Unreal Engine as well as Autodesk’s MotionBuilder through the Mocopi SDK.
The trackers can be purchased for $450 from the Sony online store and will ship starting July 14.
Full-motion video is an interest for those looking to work and play in the metaverse. Last week, Meta released research it has done on motion tracking for AR/VR applications using wearable sensors, only in that case, the intention was realistic pose replication.
