Vicon – Page 2 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

August 13, 2018

MoCap Giant Vicon Announces Location-Based VR Tracking System Origin

Leading motion capture company Vicon is jumping deeper into VR with a new tracking system for location-based solutions.

You may have seen Vicon’s tech at work in hit movies like Blade Runner 2049 and Gravity as well as games like the VR-compatible Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, but its work in VR opens up a new avenue for the company. Using a combination of new hardware and software the new platform, named Origin, is designed to offer ‘unbreakable’ tracking to VR arcades and installations across the world for improved, multi-user experiences.

To achieve this, Origin introduces three main components. The first is Viper, a lightweight camera that works with active marker technology. The camera’s sensors follow Origin’s wearable tracking clusters named Pulsar, which consist of several LED markers that a user would attach to their body (presumably fitted to a piece of clothing) and headset. A third device called the Beacon, meanwhile, allows Viper and Pulsar to communicate over a synchronized wireless network.

This new hardware is paired with a software platform named Evoke, which is designed to keep tracking stable and also auto-fix any calibration changes between play sessions. The system comes with plug-ins for game engines (exactly which isn’t stated) for you to integrate into your software.

Vicon is currently partnered with location-based VR company, Dreamscape Immersive, which is best known for its Alien Zoo experience, though we don’t know when or where we’ll see Origin integrated into one of its offerings. Vicon will be at Siggraph in Vancouver later this week to showcase its system, though.

Tagged with: Origin, Vicon

July 10, 2018

Go Behind-the-Scenes at Tokyo’s VR Zone to see Dragon Quest VR

Back in April VRFocus reported on Square Enix launching Dragon Quest VR at the VR Zone in Shinjuku, Japan. Allowing players to immerse themselves in one of the most famous Japanese role-playing games (JRPG), the virtual reality (VR) experience allows up to four visitors to team up and play. Today, BANDAI NAMCO in collaboration with Vicon and Square Enix have showcased the experience in even more depth thanks to a series of new images.

VR Zone Dragon Quest image1

In the Dragon Quest VR experience players can take on the role of a warrior, priest or mage, with each class of character capable of different attacks. Guests wear a customised HTC Vive headset connected to a backpack PC that grants them complete wireless freedom in an empty 240-square-meter room which has 40 Vicon V5 motion tracking cameras recording their movements.

“After the VR Zone facility launched last year, we’ve been looking at ways to take advantage of the open space, and this space really goes well with the concept of the role-playing game,” said Yukiharu Tamiya of BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Inc., who oversees the facility. “The Dragon Quest games are about adventure, so going into a VR world and being able to walk around can give the players the sense of traveling through an unexplored land.”

Due to the size of the room and the amount of Vicon cameras groups of up to four can compete together on a team, while the room itself can hold up to three groups at a time. This is achieved via the Vicon cameras being able to track up to 150 different objects at 180 fps, ensuring low latency and nearly instantaneous movement recreation in the virtual world.

VR Zone Dragon Quest

“To see groups of people yelling, shouting and fighting virtual foes while being lost in the experience was amazing,” said Vicon’s Asia Pacific Sales Manager Alex Muir. “We were there at the beginning of this with Bandai Namco as a technical partner, and to see the realization of being immersed in the game – not the technology – was mind blowing.”

If you just happen to be passing by or heading towards Japan then further details including tickets can be found here. Tickets for Dragon Quest VR cost ¥3,200 (around $29 USD) per session. For further updates on location-based VR keep reading VRFocus.

March 16, 2018

Vicon to Demonstrate its Motion Capture Platform Shōgun 1.2 in a VR Escape Room at GDC 2018

With all sorts of virtual reality (VR) technology due to be displayed at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2018, companies from across the globe are using it to showcase more than just videogames. Motion capture specialist Vicon has chosen to create a VR escape room to demonstrate its newest platform Shōgun 1.2 at the event.

VEX 1

Vicon launched Shōgun at GDC 2017 becoming a popular motion capture platform in the process, used in feature films like Blade Runner 2049, as well as in the videogame industry by publishers like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft and Activision. The new Shōgun 1.2 update adds several new features, including the ability to calibrate and record SDI video directly into the Shōgun pipeline. Support for custom game rigs in Shōgun Live and Shōgun Post has also been added, allowing users to animate and solve directly onto their project characters. That data can then be streamed directly into game engines, so designers can see the results on their characters in real-time.

To give a practical look at Shōgun 1.2’s new features Vicon created the Vicon Experience (VEX) a multiplayer VR escape room made specifically for GDC 2018. The VEX escape room features puzzles and a futuristic setting created by DesignGame, and real-time facial tracking courtesy of Dynamixyz. Popcorn FX also added its real-time FX to bring the environment to life, and the entire experience is then driven through Epic Games‘ Unreal Engine 4 using Shōgun and Live Link to animate the players’ avatars in real time.

When guests step into Vicon’s booth, they’ll find it transformed into a large volume capture space using the company’s Vantage optical system. Cameras track participants’ movements, and using Shōgun’s new custom skeleton solving, they will appear inside of VEX as avatars. A third performer will then guide them through the experience using real-time face animation driven by Dynamixyz Performer software.

VEX

It’s not just Shōgun 1.2 that Vicon will be showcasing offering a first look at the finalized version of Cara Lite, the entry-level version of Vicon’s Cara 3D production facial capture solution system. VRFocus will be at GDC 2018 to check out VEX and all the other VR content on display.

August 2, 2017

Motion Capture Firm Vicon Team Up with Manus VR

The use of motion capture is film and videogames goes back further than most people think, but its use has really exploded over the past decade. However, motion capture is still a difficult and expensive process. Vicon are hoping to change that by introducing the Manus VR data glove into its available technology pipeline.

Vicon are a supplier of motion capture technology, for entertainment, research, engineering and science. The company is aiming to introduce the Manus VR data glove into its suite of technology in order to offer clients capabilities such as finger tracking and haptic feedback. At present, full-finger tracking is often difficult, particularly in areas where there are obstacles, or the actor’s pose makes it difficult. The gap is often filled with costly and time-consuming CGI animation. The Manus VR system makes the process easier and cheaper.

“The integration with Manus VR expands Vicon’s tracking capabilities, giving users the ability to gather accurate finger data in real time. The gloves’ intuitive design provides consistent and low latency analysis, aiding the creation of truly immersive experiences,” said Tim Doubleday, VFX product manager at Vicon. “Manus VR’s focus on innovation supports our vision to help customers bridge the gap between physical and virtual worlds.”

Manus VR product

For development of virtual reality (VR) experiences, finger tracking becomes even more important, as it allows players to become further immersed in the virtual environment, able to interact with objects in a naturalistic way. For areas such as training, medicine or engineering, being able to accurately track finger movement makes a big difference in how successful the VR applications are.

“This was a natural next step in providing customers with an advanced full-body tracking system,” said Maarten Witteveen, CTO of Manus VR. “With the boundaries of virtual reality ever expanding, it’s important for us to partner with a motion capture pioneer like Vicon to equip customers with an unlimited amount of possibilities.”

VRFocus will continue to bring you news on Manus VR and other VR related products.