Category: ikinema

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Report: Apple Acquires Motion Capture Firm IKinema

According to a MacRumor report and regulatory filings with the UK government, Apple may have quietly acquired UK-based motion capture firm IKinema.

The report has thus far gone unsubstantiated by both companies, however a number of filings with the UK government shows that Apple’s director of corporate law, Peter Denwood, has been recently appointed the director of IKinema, listing Apple’s HQ address.

Furthermore, the company’s physical UK address has been legally changed to 100 New Bridge Street in London, the very same for Apple Europe Limited.

Image courtesy Companies House

According to the report, IKinema’s website and social media were spun down weeks ago. At the time of this writing, the company’s site has been reduced to support documentation for their various software products. Citing an industry insider, MacRumors maintains that IKinema customers been without an update “for weeks.”

IKinema is known for its inverse kinematic (IK) technology and affordable motion capture for real-time 3D rendering. The company’s latest sizzle reel (linked below) shows off a number of its technologies including its latest iteration of Orion, a software that can capture head, hand, hips and feet motion using SteamVR-compatible VR headsets, controllers, and Vive Trackers.

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Considering Apple’s patently secretive nature, it’s still not entirely clear what the Cupertino tech giant would have in store for IKinema. Apple hasn’t officially acknowledged its working on an AR headset, although the company recently let code leak in the newest version of iOS which features internal codenames for its AR tech, field of view, and more.

Whatever the case may be, Apple has been continuously hiring industry pros in the field of AR/VR, so it’s clear we’re well outside of the realm of ‘if’ and heading into ‘what’ and when’ stages. To say the least, having a robust in-house IK solution would certainly be useful when creating lifelike avatars for either immersive platform.

The post Report: Apple Acquires Motion Capture Firm IKinema appeared first on Road to VR.

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IKINEMA Updates Motion Capture Solution Orion, Improving VR Character Animation

Just over a year ago motion capture specialist IKINEMA released Orion 1.0, a platform designed to replicate body gestures using OpenVR hardware like HTC Vive. This week, the company has announced Orion 2.0, updating the real-time mocap solution to make 3D virtual character animation even more realistic.

Orion 2.0 helps to provide a cost-effective high-end motion capture solution for developers in fields such as virtual reality (VR), aerospace, automotive, design, engineering, ergonomics, training, virtual YouTube avatars, live theatre, film, animation, and more.

The update has seen IKINEMA fully optimise the core solver to strengthen the quality of live body motion. Plus a new System Health Tracker has been added as well as smaller technology fixes to complete the revamp.

“IKINEMA’s animation technologies sit at the bleeding-edge, we pride ourselves on offering advancements that ensure efficient delivery of true-to-life character motion and highly interactive virtual experiences every time. Orion’s latest enhancements mean both the user and our quality technology partners the likes of HTC, and Manus VR can continue to rely on our cutting-edge motion capture solution,” said Chris Petrov, Product Manager, Live Characters at IKINEMA in a statement.

Using the HTC Vive and controllers to capture the motion of head and hands, Orion can also employ Vive Trackers to capture hips and feet as well as the Manus VR glove for fingers, enabling full body motion for natural digital avatar creation.

“Providing creators and consumers with our HTC Vive VR system and Vive Tracker technology, coupled with IKINEMA’s Orion high-end motion capture technology equips cross-industries with a reliable, cost-effective and easy to use solution, where the impact of participant experience is of far deeper immersion and believable engagement to explore and interact within their virtual worlds,” adds Graham Wheeler, VP Product and Business Operations, HTC Europe.

Companies already using IKINEMA include GREE VR Studio, All Seeing Eye, AltspaceVR, Cole Engineering Services, Inc., L3 Technologies, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Microsoft, NASA Johnson Space Center, NCSoft, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Ltd (SIEE), Tencent, and more. Orion license’s start from £400 GBP per seat, with plugins for Unity and Unreal Engine. As further improvements are made, VRFocus will continue to keep you updated.

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MWM Immersive Brings Live VR Theatre Experience Chained: A Victorian Nightmare to New York

Just before Christmas last year VRFocus reported on MWM Immersive (VR and AR division of Madison Wells Media) creating a spine-tingling version of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol as a live theatrical virtual reality (VR) experience called Chained: A Victorian Nightmare in Los Angeles. Today, the studio has announced a partnership with real-time body animation specialist IKINEMA, alongside bringing the piece to New York City.

Chained: A Victorian Nightmare

Chained: A Victorian Nightmare is the work of Justin Denton in collaboration with Aaron Sims Creative, and Here Be Dragons, using IKINEMA’s LiveAction technology to bring the story’s ghostly characters to life.

A solitary single-guest experience presented inside a fully detailed Victorian-era set, only one audience member can enter at a time. After donning a VR headset they’ll interact the entire time with live actors who are motion captured by IKINEMA then animated alongside other tactile objects, confronting their own past, present, and future through a harrowing journey.

“The ghosts of A Christmas Carol have become iconic characters, and they’re at the heart of our adaptation,” said Ethan Stearns, Executive Producer, MWM Immersive in a statement. ” IKINEMA LiveAction was instrumental in making each one feel like a living, breathing character who is standing right beside you. At MWM Immersive, we want to provide our creators the tools they need to tell their story in the best way possible, and that often means pushing the boundaries and capabilities of the technology at our fingertips. IKINEMA helped us accomplish that on Chained.”

Chained: A Victorian Nightmare

“Chained: A Victorian Nightmare is testament to the close collaboration of creative and technical teams who harness our powerful LiveAction solution to bring life and realism for interactive virtual characters—qualities IKINEMA is in demand for,” Alexandre Pechev, CEO, IKINEMA adds. “We’re thrilled MWM Immersive have delivered what is next-generation VR storytelling using our technology.”

If you happen to be in New York over the next month then head down to the New York City Story Arcade Pop-Up, by organisers Future of Storytelling. Chained: A Victorian Nightmare is only available until 24th March, so book your tickets here. For further theatrical VR updates, keep reading VRFocus.

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This Week In VR Sports: Tabletop Football And ESports Deals

Another weekend, another entry of This Week In VR Sport. Every week VRFocus brings you a number of sports and eSports related virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) stories. As the World Cup is soon to finish, why not look to the future of enjoying the sport as the University of Washington presents AR tabletop viewing. Team Gravity announce a sponsor for their VR eSports activities and IKINEMA collaborates with Globo for a unique AR broadcast.

University of Washington Use AR For Tabletop Football Viewing

Tabletop Football

Researches at the University of Washington, in partnership with Facebook and Google have released a new video and research paper that presents a future of what watching football in AR might look like. The system, which is best described as tabletop football, is an end-to-end system that creates a moving 3D reconstruction of a real match which can be enjoyed with a 3D viewer or on an AR compatible device such as HoloLens.

The system was achieved by training a convolutional neural network (CNN) with hours of virtual player data captured from EA’s FIFA videogames, which was able to provide the team behind the system with the data needed to ingest a single monocular YouTube video and output it in the result seen below.

The ten page research paper goes in depth on how the team at the University of Washington, Facebook, and Google were able to bring all the data and technology together for the end result. In theory, the system would allow viewers to watch a match, be it live or recorded, in a hybrid 2D/3D AR experience that could be enjoyed from any viewing angle. The prospect of a tabletop experience similar in vein to the recently announced Motorsport Manager Mobile 3 which is also leveraging AR technology to allow users to turn a surface into a playground.

You can see an example of the system below and read the research paper from the University of Washington here.

Broadband Provider JT Partners With Team Gravity For VR eSports

Team Gravity

VR is rapidly becoming a main player in the eSports scene and one team within the scene is Team Gravity who have recently announced that they have a sponsor in the form of broadband provider JT. The team have been competing in Echo Arena, which is a three-versus-three VR videogame, but have recently recruited a fourth member and are looking to expand into more titles in the future.

Competing on a weekly basis along with attending major eSports events, such as EL One in Hamburg and IEM Katowice in Poland, Team Gravity have seen success having recently finished first in the European Stage Finals of Echo Arena and is aiming for the World Finals as well.

“eGaming and eSports have been around for some time, but the addition of Virtual Reality takes it to a new level and is a growing global phenomenon.” Said Tim McGuinness, member of Team Gravity: “With VR, it is much more akin to playing a sport than a game; you need to train and you need to have the right mentality as you can play for up to three hours non-stop – it is a full body workout requiring great fitness, dexterity and skill.”

With the partnership, Team Gravity will be able to look in expanded the team with more members and attending more events in the future. VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on the team in the future.

IKINEMA And Globo Collaborate For Unique AR World Cup Broadcast

Lastly this week, IKINEMA and Globo Collaborate for AR World Cup Heroes. This collaboration saw the blend of the real-world with he virtual one as AR characters came to life during a special broadcast on Brazilian TV. The experience was made possible thanks to IKINEMA’s LiveAction animation software which allowed presenters to interact with the live-streamed AR characters and offer a unique viewing experience.

“It’s extremely exciting working with Globo, together we are breaking new ground by bringing in new dimensions to live TV Broadcasting, and what better time to revolutionise than for the World Cup of Russia.” Said Alexandre Pechev, IKINEMA CEO: “The IKINEMA technologies are designed to drive innovative techniques and efficiency for our customers, whilst delivering consistently believable motion – trademarks our brand is recognised the world over.”

The technology could mean that the future of sports broadcasting will see more AR characters used to deliver unique reports for viewers. They could even be used to recreate key moments within a match, adding an extra layer of character and charm to the story as the cheerful AR characters play out the action. You can read more about the special broadcast and collaboration between IKINEMA and Globo here.

That is all for This Week In VR Sport. For more on immersive sport news keep reading VRFocus and remember to check back next week for another This Week In VR Sport.
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IKINEMA and Globo Collaborate for AR World Cup Heroes

It’s not a secret that Brazil is a bit wild about Football. With most of the world joining in the celebration of the Beautiful Game that is the FIFA World Cup, Brazil’s largest media group, Globo have teamed up with IKINEMA to create an augmented reality (AR) tribute to the 2018 World Cup.

The collaboration mixed together real-life human presenters with virtual and AR characters that can be used during TV broadcasts. The AR experience uses IKINEMA’s LiveAction animation software to let presenters get the full effect when on set.

Presenters will be able to interact with multiple live-streamed virtual characters within a virtual football stadium, mixing together the real and the virtual. The IKINEMA software lets the Globo team mix together on-air coverage with the virtual additions in real-time.

Alexandre Pechev, IKINEMA CEO, “It’s extremely exciting working with Globo, together we are breaking new ground by bringing in new dimensions to live TV Broadcasting, and what better time to revolutionise than for the World Cup of Russia. The IKINEMA technologies are designed to drive innovative techniques and efficiency for our customers, whilst delivering consistently believable motion – trademarks our brand is recognised the world over.”

Alexandre Arrabal, Globo’s Director of Illustration and Art said, “To lead in our industry means adopting incredible and innovative technologies, the likes of LiveAction. IKINEMA’s advanced tools has enabled Globo to spearhead a dynamic and new-style of presenting live shows with the use of augmented reality – this is the future for greater audience engagement and entertainment. The IKINEMA support team are total professionals and they’ve been a reassuring component to our technical team for smooth delivery throughout World Cup coverage.”

Further information about the IKINEMA LiveAction software is available on the official IKINEMA website. A demonstration video can also be viewed below. VRFocus will be sure to keep you updated with future news from the AR sector.

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GREE VR Studio to Launch Virtual YouTube Channel Using IKinema Technology

Earlier this year real-time animation specialist IKinema announced the launch of its new motion capture solution Orion. Today, Japanese media broadcaster and games publisher Gree Inc. and its subsidiary Gree VR Studio have announced the implementation of Orion to launch a new virtual YouTube hosting channel.

IKinema Orion 1.0

One of the fastest growing trends in Japan currently is the use of live streamed animated characters which GREE Inc. is looking to take advantage of using IKinema’s Orion and LiveAction technology. This will enable virtual animated ‘idols’ to interact live with online subscribers via GREE’s channel.

“This happens to be an exciting time for IKinema, we’re delighted GREE, Inc. have deployed our real-time technology to forge new and dynamic territories for wider audience appeal and usability,” said IKinema CEO, Alexandre Pechev in a statement. “The VTuber trend is increasing at an astonishing rate, and we’re proud IKinema will expedite its development and growth. IKinema’s ongoing vision to democratise quality motion capture for the masses has been our core message and by partnering the cutting-edge Orion and LiveAction technologies, they have become central tools to shape and evolve the future development of the virtual human.”

Already being used by Tencent IEG NEXT Studio, NASA’s Hybrid Reality Lab and the The VOID in its Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire experience, IKinema’s technology can be used with hardware like the HTC Vive and its controllers to capture head and hand motion. With the addition of Vive Trackers the company is then able to capture hips and feet.

“Orion, together with LiveAction proved to be a solid foundation to build on our virtual YouTuber business,” said GREE VR Studio Manager, Masashi Watanabe. “It served as the key components to make our YouTuber vision come to life. It enabled us to realise time efficiencies as well. The staff from IKinema was also very helpful in supporting us to take advantage of their technology for the project.”

GREE Inc. has yet to reveal when it plans to go live with its new YouTube channel featuring live virtual avatars. When it does VRFocus will keep you updated.

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IKinema: Bewegungserfassungssystem Orion 1.0 ab sofort erhältlich

Werbung für Virtual Reality Hygiene

Wir berichteten Anfang letzten Jahres über das Bewegungserfassungssystem Projekt: Orion vom englischen Unternehmen für Bewegungstechnologie IKinema. Durch die Befestigung der Vive Tracker an mehreren Punkten des Körpers wird ein Full Body Capturing ermöglicht, wodurch sämtliche Körperbewegungen sehr genau in der VR simuliert werden. Nun steht das System Orion 1.0 für jedermann im Abo zur Verfügung. Zur Veröffentlichung bieten die Entwickler eine Rabataktion für das erste Jahr an.

IKinema Orion 1.0 – Qualitativ hochwertiges Bewegungserfassungssystem veröffentlicht

Das Motion-Capture-System Orion 1.0 von IKinema setzt auf die Vive Tracker von HTC und ist in der Lage, mit sechs bis acht Tracking-Punkten realistische Körperbewegungen in Echtzeit in die virtuelle Realität zu übertragen.

Die Anwender befestigen die Vive-Peripheriegeräte an den jeweiligen Körperenden, wodurch das System dank inverser Kinematik und speziellen Algorithmen die Bewegungen anhand der Pose interpretiert und verarbeitet. Das funktioniert folgendermaßen: Durch die Bewegungen der Endpunkte einer Bewegungskette müssen die übrigen Glieder der Kette die entsprechende Lage einnehmen. Das System erfasst also beispielsweise die Bewegung des menschlichen Arms. Befindet sich die Hand des Arms in einer bestimmten Position, so trifft das ebenso auf verbundene Körperteile wie das Handgelenk und die Schulter zu. Das Projekt erkennt diese Stellungen, berechnet die Zwischenpunkte und simuliert diese.

IKinema-Project-Orion-VR

Das Bewegungserfassungssystem findet bereits in diversen Bereichen Anwendung. Dazu zählen beispielsweise VR-Spiele, VR-Trainings und die Arbeit in Animationsstudios. Doch das Orion-System ist prinzipiell auch für die Nutzung in den eigenen vier Wänden geeignet.

Zur Veröffentlichung des Systems 1.0 bieten die Verantwortlichen eine Rabattaktion bis zum 31. März 2018 an, wodurch gewillte Käufer das Orion-Paket mitsamt Jahres-Lizenz für 300 Pfund (umgerechnet rund 340 Euro) erwerben können. Danach steigt der Preis auf 400 Pfund jährlich. Im Paket enthalten sind zudem Plug-ins für Unity und die Unreal Engine sowie ein Beispiel-Avatar, sodass Entwickler VR-Titel fit für das System machen können. Die HTC Vive und die dazugehörigen Tracker sind nicht im Paket enthalten.

Zudem ist eine 14-tägige Testversion vor Kauf des Bewegungserfassungssystems möglich. Die jeweiligen Angebote befinden sich auf der offiziellen Seite von Ikinema.

(Quellen: IKinema | Upload VR | Videos: Ikinema Youtube)

Der Beitrag IKinema: Bewegungserfassungssystem Orion 1.0 ab sofort erhältlich zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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IKinema Orion’s 1.0 VR Body Tracking Solution Now Available To All

IKinema Orion’s 1.0 VR Body Tracking Solution Now Available To All

UK-based IKinema is looking to make sophisticated body tracking open to all with the use of the HTC Vive headset and its Orion software.

Last year we reported that the animation specialist was working with HTC’s new Vive Trackers to create an accessible body tracking solution that developers could purchase for an annual cost of $500. Today, Orion 1.0 releases for all, bringing head, hand, hip and feet tracking tech to studios around the world.

Orion works with OpenVR to capture the motion of all Lighthouse-tracked Vive peripherals. The company’s algorithms are then able to accurately depict the position of other body parts not being tracked, such as arms and legs, to create a convincing 3D character model.

Current IKinema customers include NASA’s Hybrid Reality Lab, which used data collected from the tracking, and Tencent, which uses the solution for full-body mocap avatars.

You’ll need to acquire the Vive and Trackers yourself, which will run you around $900 without including the price of a high-powered PC. However, if you already have these components then Orion could be seen as an affordable body tracking solution; the recently-launched Perception Neuron 2.0 costs $1,500 to get up and running, though this is a one-time cost and not annual.

To that end, though, IKinema is running a promotion on Orion, offering 25% off until the end of March, meaning your first year will cost just $375.

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See Behind The Scenes Of Star Wars: Secrets Of The Empire VR Experience

The best way to get closer to your favourite franchises is undoubtedly virtual reality (VR). In VR you can become much closer to the worlds and characters you’ve loved for years, which is why we’re seeing so many license holders jump on board with brand new VR experiences. Of course one of the very biggest franchises, and therefore one of the most exciting experiences, has to be Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, a VR experience which we saw launch last year. Now we’ve got a brand new video which shows us some behind the scenes goings on and impressions from fans who’ve experienced it for themselves.

Star Wars fans in the United States and United Kingdom can still go experience Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire for themselves. If you’re located in the UK, you can see the experience for a limited time in Westfield London. Fans in the US are luckier, with new locations opening in California and Nevada in 2018.

The experience was created by ILMxLAB and The VOID using the Unreal Engine 4, which of course we know is a powerful and versatile engine capable of making a variety of realistic 3D worlds for VR experiences, videogames and even TV and film.

In the video you can see developers and executives from the companies, such as The VOID CEO Cliff Plumer evangelise the experience. Plumer says; “You’re smelling things, you’re feeling heat, cold, you’re touching things. We utilise a lot of digital technology and physical effects to create a hyper reality experience.”

Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire uses IKinema full body tracking to ensure users in the experience have a believable and realistic experience, with no concerns of losing track of body movements in VR, removing players from the immersion of the experience.

Watch the full behind the scenes video embedded below to see absolutely everything that Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire has to offer. User testimonies seem resoundingly positive with many users in disbelief at how believable the world was. Should we ever hear more about new locations or dates for Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, you know you’ll read about it first on VRFocus.

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Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire to use IKinema Full-Body Tracking

We’ve all wanted to be a Jedi at some point, and some of the less reputable among us have even wanted to be a Sith; thankfully, that dream is closer to reality than ever before thanks to The VOID, and their hyper-reality experience that is Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire.

Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire is a full-body virtual reality (VR) experience that will take users into the Star Wars universe like never before, with untethered VR technology that will let players truly feel part of their favourite universe.

You’ll be able to play Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire in two spots in the USA, Orlando, Florida and Anaheim, California, while anyone looking for a UK location will be able to find it at London’s Westfield.

IKinema’s technology has already been used in many VR videogames and applications, with the team at Supermassive Games using the full-body movement tech in their latest projects. The procedural animation software helps characters move more naturally in VR, with minimal intensive hands-on development time.

“IKinema’s technology is all about delivering top quality results enabling developers to create amazing experiences for their audiences,” said IKinema Founder and CEO, Alexandre Pechev.

“IKinema is a great partner to The VOID as we create the elements needed for an immersive, believable and engaging experience,” added The VOID’s Head of Technology, Farrell Edwards. “Accurate translation of a person’s physical movements in real-time is crucial to generate the kind of immersion that allows someone to believably assume a new identity and suspend reality. Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire delivers on that promise of immersion with the help of IKinema’s incredible full body-solving technology.”

Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire is looking to be one of the most exciting and interesting VR experiences available. Budding Jedi should take a look at The VOID website for more information and where and when you can experience a galaxy far, far away. For everything else on VR and technology, stay on VRFocus.