The tracking or capturing of motion accurately represents real world movement in a computer generated space.

Uses of tracking and capture are pretty evenly split between Entertainment and Scientific projects. In entertainment it may be desirable to have a character move in a fashion that is clearly human. For scientific purposes, accurate data is often needed for studies on human and object movements.

Motion Tracking is usually used to describe the capture of single points and up to 4 sensors. Single point tracking may follow robotic arms in a factory, head position for VR head mounted displays, human movement through a space, or hand position for dataglove movement.

Motion Capture usually refers to human hand, face and/or body capture. It requires multiple points to be captured and has various scientific and entertainment purposes, including Sports Study, Gait Analysis, Human Interaction Testing, Video Game Animation, Film and TV Animation, and Live Puppeteering.

Methods of recording include: Magnetic, Optical, Mechanical, Acoustic, Inertial, Hybrid systems...

The technical issues in capturing motion cause a balancing act between number of sensors that may be recorded, their time lag in being read and processed, the area covered, and environmental interference.

Selection of the product for your capture will depend on the type and use of your recording. We can help guide you through this process with the best impartial advice.

Motion Capture / 3D Tracking Product Guides: