Rokoko is a Danish brand of consumer motion capture and animation technology products. It was founded in 2015 in Copenhagen, Denmark with additional offices located in Athens, Greece, and San Francisco, USA.[1] It manufactures the Smartsuit Pro, an IMU motion capture suit used by animators, game developers, vTubers.[2][3]
Rokoko was founded by Jakob Balslev, Matias Søndergaard, and Anders Klok in March 2014, however the idea came to them when they were at the National Film School of Denmark.[4] Initially, they launched a Kickstarter campaign for the Smartsuit Pro. The motion capture technology, unveiled in December 2016, uses a wireless body suit and integrates with software development platforms.[5] The company also produces the Smartgloves for finger tracking, as well as software for face tracking.[6]
The Rokoko Smartsuit Brings Motion Capture to the Masses
Rokoko is best known for its Smartsuit Pro, an entire motion capture studio in one markerless suit, enabling creators on all levels to turn any space into a professional motion capture stage. Popular among game developers and filmmakers, the suit has made a once cost-prohibitive process affordable, accessible, and intuitive to use. The Motion Library is available to all Unity users today as a native plugin through the Unity Asset Store. Later in 2018, Rokoko will launch The Motion Library to developers on all other platforms at www.motionlibrary.com.
Many modern animated characters owe their lifelike movements to actors in motion capture (mocap) suits surrounded by cameras, but that cumbersome, expensive process might soon be a thing of the past. Danish startup Rokoko has developed the Smartsuit Pro, a mocap suit that works without wires or cameras, and instead relies on sensors and a Wi-Fi network to record or stream motion to a character in real time.
The creators say that the device overcomes many of the challenges of optical motion capture. Cameras can't track what they can't see, so occlusion can ruin scenes where, for example, two characters might be interacting close together. With the new system, up to five people can be simultaneously captured with one router on a network, and the character limit can be increased by adding extra routers. And since the Smartsuit Pro is crunching numbers instead of video files, data is said to be kept relatively small and fast.
The Smartsuit Pro is aimed at high-end movie and game studios looking for a faster, cleaner workflow, as well as mid-range indie teams who might not have had access to motion capture technology before.
Very, very cool research going on out there. I cannot wait to see where this goes in the coming months. I am interested in some of the applications you have been using with your motion capture suit and Mirage Solo headset. Are there any immersive experiences / games that take advantage of the hardware combo you are describing?
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In digital experiences, hand-crafting figures and different forms of movement is a chore. While it can sometimes supply a unique experience, there are elements of that type of work that lend to a lack of realism in performance. Motion capture can find its roots in the art of rotoscoping, a technique developed in 1915 where animators trace over motion picture footage. Motion capture takes that to the next level by using different suits and tools to record the movement of subjects for use in various forms of media on 3D models. Motion capture gear fluctuates in quality and price, very rarely hitting that sweet spot of quality and affordability, but Rokoko has developed a suit that impresses on both levels and we discussed the new Smartsuit Pro with them. We chatted with founder and CEO of Rokoko Jakob Balslev about the gear as well.
The suit itself is all one piece that zips up easily and has adjustable straps to fit different body types. It is comprised of a lightweight mesh material that moves silently out of consideration to the sensitive microphones that are often present on motion capture stages.
Code&Share[41]:MOTION TRACKINGSaturday, April 15th, 13.00-17.00 @MIXRWorkshop lead: Niels Konrad.Niels Konrad is an expert on motion tracking technology, as well as an experienced Interaction designer and creative coder. He is the former Design Lead at the successful motion capture company Rokoko and has been an important part of bringing several of their products out into the world. One of which is the Smartsuit Pro, which he will be demonstrating live in the workshop. Together we will use data from the Smartsuit Pro to explore how we can visualize and work with data sets in an open and playful way.Bring your laptop, we have snacks ... fb event link
May 10th 2017: This new video from Rokoko features a new age motion capture suit that could revolutionize the entertainment industry. Rokoko is a new startup based in Copenhagen and San Francisco. The team of experts has come up with the SmartSuit Pro: A motion capture suit that can translate human motion into digital motion seamlessly.
Rokoko plans on re-inventing the input method we use today, to interact with our digital devices. Founded in 2014, Rokoko aims to bring a new wave of technology in the motion capture industry. According to the venture's CEO, Jakob Balsev: SmartSuit Pro has applications in the field of Video Games, Content Creation, VFX, and other digital spaces that might benefit from a technology like this.
The SmartSuit Pro dramatically reduces the costs of using motion capture technology when compared to traditional methods of motion capture. The SmartSuit uses sensors that are laid out at strategic places in the suit, in order to capture the motion of the person wearing it.
The SmartSuit Pro is fitted with 19 motion capture sensors that are connected to a portable hub built into the suit's back. The hub can then wirelessly transmit the motion capture data to any nearby device. SmartSuit Pro also allows you to capture your data on the go by providing storage options directly on the hub. This allows you to use the SmartSuit Pro in almost any situation.
What it is: At roughly 1/50th the cost of current motion capture technologies, Danish company Rokoko just released a sensor-laden body suit that turns any space, green screen or not, into a motion capture studio. The Smartsuit Pro uses 19 sensors, each including a gyrometer, accelerometer and magnetometer, coupled with on-board algorithms to make sense of the data and stream it to your device wirelessly.
Why it's important: Already packaged with integrations into gaming and Virtual Reality software studios like Unity and Unreal Engine, Rokoko is poised to demonetize motion capture technology and unleash creative talent in entertainment. Look for additional use cases in neurology, physical therapy, sports performance, and real-time connection with your personal avatar in virtual worlds. Join the Discussion 2ff7e9595c
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