<p>Motion capture and the field of motion measurement are widely used in both sports and creative visual media. But in this recent short film, ‘<a href="https://vimeo.com/453613568" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em>Protesys</em></a>’ by acclaimed Brazilian director, Afonso Poyart, the worlds of sport science and Hollywood collide, and <a href="https://www.xsens.com/products/mvn-animate" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Xsens MVN Animate</a> is at the center of production.&nbsp;</p><p>Afonso’s filmmaking career has earned him a highly regarded place in the global film industry, directing films such as <em>Two Rabbits&nbsp;</em>(2012), <em>Solace</em> (2015), and <em>Mais Forte que o Mundo: A História de José Aldo</em> (2016), to name a few. In Protesys, conventional wisdom surrounding sports is challenged head-on, tackling the increasing role technology plays in professional sports. In particular, the film – shot convincingly as a fictional documentary – focuses on the potential for high-powered, bionic prosthetics that take a step beyond assistance for para-athletes, elevating users to superhuman levels of performance. Afonso partnered with VFX studio, <a href="https://www.picmapost.com.br/" target="_blank">Picma Post</a>, to design the short film’s photorealistic visuals, creating a convincing and realistic technology concept, all despite being set in an entirely fictional context.&nbsp;</p><p>We spoke with Afonso Poyart and Rodrigo Elias, founding partner and production supervisor at Picma Post, about the film’s inception, production, and the studio’s future projects.&nbsp;</p><p><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b6vjCVq4UQo?&amp;feature=emb_logo&amp;wmode=opaque" style="width: 784px; height: 503px;"></iframe></span><br></p><p><strong>Perceiving Protesys&nbsp;</strong></p><p>Afonso was inspired by the incredible feats achieved by today’s para-athletes on the world stage, taking a keen interest in the role of advancements in prosthetic limbs. As prosthetic technology continues to improve, para-athletes are beginning to edge closer to the level of able-bodied sports stars, which begs the question: could robotic technology turn the tables?&nbsp;</p><p>“We’ve started to see current-day parathletes, with the help of modern prosthetics, beginning to enter into higher and higher levels of sporting achievement, this inspired the basis of the film idea,” said Afonso.&nbsp;“What would happen if they equalled, and then bettered able-bodied athletes?” continued Afonso.&nbsp;With this concept in mind, Afonso opted to sculpt a world containing a new bionic prosthetic that while beyond today’s capabilities, feels like an entirely possible adaptation. You’d be forgiven for taking the premise of the film as fact, especially as it’s presented in a documentary form that demonstrates the technology as market-ready. It even stars an active, Brazilian para-athlete, Flavio Reitz:&nbsp;“Flavio is a real para-athlete from the Olympics – it’s like real life meets fiction. In the story, this futuristic tech company hires Flavio to test the new equipment,” explained Afonso.</p><p>The bionic technology developed by the company goes far beyond normal expectations. Rather than just replacing the limb with something inactive, the new bionic prosthetic enhances the user’s physical ability to superhuman levels and is controlled like a regular limb using a computer chip implanted in the brain. Elon Musk’s Neuralink technology played some part in the inspiration for the brain implant idea.&nbsp;“Neuralink definitely provided some inspiration for the chip that connects the motor cortex in the brain with the robotic limbs. However, I didn’t want to fool people too much or give false hope – we wanted to create something that plays with the audience but becomes clearer as the film plays out. It’s too high-tech for today,” said Afonso.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;<img alt="20191020_153232-1" class="fr-fic fr-dii" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjA0NjU5NDc5NTUwLTE2MDQ2NTk0Nzk1NTAucG5nIiwgImVkaXRzIjogeyJyZXNpemUiOiB7IndpZHRoIjogOTUwLCAiZml0IjogImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" width="600"></p><p><strong>Production Process</strong></p><p>Through its high production standard, the short film manages to blur the line between fiction and reality, particularly in the CG animated sections that show off the prosthetic technology. To achieve this, the VFX studio utilized motion capture to generate realistic movements of athletes performing a range of sports.&nbsp;“When we first started discussing the idea and concept for the short film, we realized we needed an accurate mocap suit to record athletic movements. Here in Brazil, we don’t have lots of mocap studios or specialists, but our research led us to <a href="https://www.xsens.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Xsens</a> as the best solution. We talked a lot with the Xsens team when setting up to get the highest quality data,” explained Rodrigo.&nbsp;With a short time frame to learn how to use Xsens, the team found the technology’s ease-of-use and adaptability invaluable to the production process.&nbsp;</p><p>“It was a really straightforward process for us. Picma had never operated a full mocap system and it was a learning process from scratch. Despite this, we were able to pick it up quickly,” said Afonso.&nbsp;“We were able to complete a lot of mocap directly on an athletics track. Nobody has capabilities like Xsens to complete sessions such as this,” continued Afonso.&nbsp;</p><p>With the ability to record athletes live on the track, the <a href="https://www.picmapost.com.br/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Picma Post</a> team could record the full-body motion of boxers, dancers, and high jumpers with ease, generating the realistic, CG animation seen throughout the film. Picma used several stunt doubles for Flavio's routines, harmoniously merging the shots together.&nbsp;“Flavio is unable to use a real prosthetic leg and can’t walk. So every shot where he is walking is a double. We also hired a High Jumper for some of the shots too,” said Afonso.&nbsp;“We actually had three stuntmen for Flavio, one for jumping, running, and the body! added Rodrigo. “But of course, we only recorded the initial steps of Flavio’s jump with <a href="https://www.xsens.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Xsens</a>. We also had some wired cables that raised him during the recording session. As soon as he took off and went upwards, we’d cut, so the rest of the jump was all CG.”&nbsp;</p><p><img alt="IMG_0906.CR2" class="fr-fic fr-dii" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjA0NjU5NDc5MTE2LTE2MDQ2NTk0NzkxMTYucG5nIiwgImVkaXRzIjogeyJyZXNpemUiOiB7IndpZHRoIjogOTUwLCAiZml0IjogImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" width="1200"></p><p>“For the CG parts, we used a combination of Maya and Arnold. And every compositing shot is completed in Nuke. For now, we’re using HumanIK inside Maya to apply the mocap data and a custom rig using HumanIK as our base for the robot. We’re looking to develop custom rigs in the future,” said Rodrigo. Even high-impact movements resulted in no loss of data for the team, with the durability of the Xsens sensors proving very reliable. “We recorded a high jumper with Xsens to jump at a lower height to acquire all of the movement data as an athlete crosses over the bar. The data came out very clean, all despite the athletes hitting the mattresses with maximum force – the sensors worked fine,” explained Afonso.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://play.vidyard.com/7RvtWS9otmd6jKYHf2Gx81?disable_popouts=1&amp;type=inline&amp;hidden_controls=0&amp;muted=0&amp;loop=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;new_player_ui=1&amp;gdpr_enabled=1&amp;play_button_color=2A2A2A&amp;playlist_color=FFFFFF&amp;color=FFFFFF&amp;hide_playlist=1&amp;embed_button=0&amp;viral_sharing=0&amp;v=4.2.23&amp;vydata%5Butk%5D=e1b95d4c524d7134054b8a9c5fc2f599&amp;vydata%5Bportal_id%5D=3446270&amp;vydata%5Bcontent_type%5D=blog-post&amp;vydata%5Bcanonical_url%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.xsens.com%2Fcases%2Fdesigning-a-bionic-future-for-prosthetics-with-xsens&amp;vydata%5Bpage_id%5D=35219307837&amp;vydata%5Bcontent_page_id%5D=35219307837&amp;vydata%5Blegacy_page_id%5D=35219307837&amp;vydata%5Bcontent_folder_id%5D=null&amp;vydata%5Bcontent_group_id%5D=9880291723&amp;vydata%5Bab_test_id%5D=null&amp;vydata%5Blanguage_code%5D=null" title="Video" width="100%"></iframe></p><p><strong>Feature Film</strong></p><p>The short is a stand-alone film in its own right, but it actually exists within a much larger universe designed by Afonso to encompass a feature-length, parallel story.&nbsp;</p><p>“The short film is a case study for a feature film in production. We have a script and are just entering the production stages – the short film takes place in the same universe as the feature and acts as a precursor,” said Afonso.&nbsp;“The movie portrays a world where prosthetics are incredibly advanced. We’ve focused on different athletic sports where para-athletes use bionic limbs to become super athletes. The sporting audience and sponsors flip their interest into the bionic sports, able-bodied athletes become less significant as they’re unable to compete with para-athletes,” continued Afonso.&nbsp;“There will be two sisters, both athletes, one disabled and one able-bodied. When this technological revolution happens, the sister with the disability becomes the star, replacing the prospects of the able-bodied sister. It’s really about rivalry and what people are prepared to do to achieve success.”</p><p>The feature film will take a more conventional cinematic approach, rather than the fictional documentary style of the short. But the questions touched upon in <a href="https://vimeo.com/453613568" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em>Protesys</em></a> will be expanded into realistic scenarios that are bound to cause contention. As Afonso states:&nbsp;“We always associate sports with physicality, but it seems to me that it’s much more about mental and emotional dexterity. If the robotics extends our physical ability to a higher level and really lowers difficulty constraints, what will differentiate the best athletes? Everyone might want a bionic limb, whether they need one or not.”<br><br></p><p>You can check out the full short film <a href="https://www.solidlimbs.com/" target="_blank">here</a>, and keep your eyes peeled for further developments of the full feature film.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Xsens MVN Animate</h3><p>Are you actively looking for a motion capture system? <span data-hs-drop="true">Feel free to visit our&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.xsens.com/products/mvn-animate" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><span data-hs-drop="true">product page</span></strong></a><span data-hs-drop="true">.<a href="https://www.xsens.com/cs/c/?cta_guid=62b0c95c-a32e-49a7-b027-2d1850d6c247&amp;signature=AAH58kHW8MGtxYkdRDy65TvwW8WxSoQlgA&amp;pageId=35219307837&amp;placement_guid=4d5a34f5-b6e3-4815-bb7c-67fec396482b&amp;click=d23fe1e1-9172-412a-af80-683795572401&amp;hsutk=e1b95d4c524d7134054b8a9c5fc2f599&amp;canon=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.xsens.com%2Fcases%2Fdesigning-a-bionic-future-for-prosthetics-with-xsens&amp;utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.xsens.com%2Fexplore%3Ffilter%3Dcases&amp;portal_id=3446270&amp;redirect_url=APefjpGczQu9wTNyNGmpb35KO0ZULXNHCqF9PkcH0Ho_6IWdyVwW2gu7s3VrxVumJdj3ZRgAd-220-M-7t0z5K_7GUyeMXeatlgMTlmpeIGz2ZoeriA-BJaRg2VrfHuyZEc8af2uCoVe4z_uyouYcGJWjoCuaaJ09pUhGzenbaRrw0IdC_wGbSbd4yyuUJ3xAopxB3HeKGgBp1JutLsNSkMy98evDLdzARZUnyn6TyX5GjiVzaODc8xdJtRc3xVBgNdq7JJUUPhXoG5xPx_AvClAVrZAzelHPw&amp;__hstc=81749512.e1b95d4c524d7134054b8a9c5fc2f599.1598950583555.1604655289703.1604659070195.177&amp;__hssc=81749512.5.1604659070195&amp;__hsfp=141168424&amp;contentType=blog-post" target="_blank" title="Download MVN Data Files"></a></span></p>

With Xsens

Designing A Bionic Future For Prosthetics

<p><em>3D Positional Aiding and Object Tracking complete MVN Animate, revolutionizing inertial motion capture</em></p><p><br></p><p><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pno_NuhXzKg?&amp;t=28s&amp;wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 788px; height: 466px;"></iframe></span><br></p><p>&nbsp;We proudly present the release of Xsens MVN Animate 2020 – a major update to complete Xsens’ inertial motion capture solution for studio professionals. With this development, <a href="https://www.xsens.com/products/mvn-animate" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">MVN Animate</a> can use positioning data from HTC Vive and fuse it with Xsens motion capture data for persons and objects.</p><p>The new release also enables massive motion capture shoots with the new Remote On-Body Recording feature and deeper third-party hardware integration with the new Network sync.<br><br></p><p><strong>Process exact positions in a space</strong></p><p>The new 3D <em>Positional Aiding</em> functionality is embedded within the MVN Animate engine, allowing users to process exact positional data. The <em>Positional Aiding</em> tracks positioning using HTC VIVE lighthouses, the leading positional tracking technology. The exact positional data from VIVE is then processed within MVN Animate software and fused with body motion capture data to present one clear picture. This new development unlocks new opportunities for studios – two or more people can be measured in a space at the exact same time, meaning groups of actors in a scene can be recorded with their relative positioning tracked.<br><br></p><p><strong>Track Objects in the Field</strong></p><p>Users can place sensors on objects within a space –&nbsp;such as an actor’s prop – and process the objects’ exact location in relation to an actor. When recording the body motion data of a group of people, animators can plot the position of the objects, contextualizing the motion and positional data within the environment.<br><br></p><p><strong>Remote On-Body Recording</strong></p><p>In any location, users can track the body motion of an unlimited number of actors simultaneously. Large, group animations can now be completed accurately with ease, and Xsens automatically transfers your data, negating the need to manually download it after the session.<br><br></p><p><strong>Synchronous motion and facial capture</strong></p><p>Using other motion technology alongside MVN Animate has never been easier. With the new Network Synchronization feature, other tracking devices, such as <a href="https://www.xsens.com/watch-webinar/Xsens-and-Faceware" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">Faceware’s</a> and <a href="https://www.xsens.com/watch-webinar/xsens-full-body-plus-Dynamixyz-Facial-MoCap" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">Dynamixyz</a> facial capture technology can be managed from one interface. Just press record on MVN Animate to begin capturing from all devices simultaneously.<br><br></p><p><strong>International usability</strong></p><p>This release includes the addition of Japanese and Korean languages, alongside the Chinese and English language options, expanding global usability.</p><p>MVN Animate 2020 now offers animators around the world one of the most comprehensive multi-sensor motion data integration systems, demonstrating a degree of precision and ease-of-use that takes motion capture to the next level.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Xsens MVN Animate 2020</strong></p><p>Learn more about <a href="https://www.xsens.com/products/mvn-animate" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Xsens MVN Animate 2020 here</a>.</p>

In-engine Positional And Object Tracking

MVN Animate 2020, revolutionizing inertial motion capture

<p>Sensory motion tracking enabled by smart MEMS-based inertial sensors is at the forefront of our fourth industrial age, pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence and machine learning further than we could have imagined. Already widely used in animation productions, elite athletes now use motion sensors to enhance their performance and sports enthusiasts to improve their tennis serve or golf swing. In healthcare, motion tracking is helping people to monitor their heart rates, sleep patterns and fitness levels.</p><p>MEMS-based inertial sensors provide affordable information and using this information further for human-tracking applications is quite intricate and complex. Calibrated proprioceptive sensor measurements have to be processed using sophisticated sensor fusion algorithms that should be mathematically correct and supported by robust modelling relevant to a specific application.</p><p>Less than five decades ago sensory motion tracking involved huge and prohibitively expensive inertial-based systems mostly used for navigation. The industry needs influenced the MEMS-based technology which, in its turn, has driven the evolution of the sensory motion tracking technology. Now MEMS-based inertial systems dominate the motion capture market and drive innovations in different industries.</p><p>Just half a year ago the sensory motion tracking technology aiding tele-medicine was a nice-to-have, now, with the “new normal”, it has become a necessity. Our physical, biological and technological worlds are merging like never before, and the potential of sensory motion capture is only restricted by the extent of our imagination. This ground-breaking technology is opening the possibilities for entrepreneurs and innovators to transform their own industries.</p><p><a href="https://www.xsens.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Xsens</a>, the global leader in 3D motion tracking technology and pioneer of the <a href="https://www.xsens.com/xsens-dot" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Xsens DOT</a> development platform, is holding a webinar to discuss the latest trends in Wearable Tech on July, 14 and July, 15. &nbsp;If you are a developer, entrepreneur, innovator or business decision maker and would like to know more about how you can use this ground-breaking technology within your field of work, please register <a href="https://www.xsens.com/webinar-dot" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

The future of human digital interaction

Sensory motion tracking

<p><a href="https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/sport/olympic/sport-climbing/" target="_blank">Sport Climbing</a>&nbsp;would be debuting as an official Olympic sport in <em><a href="https://tokyo2020.org/en/" target="_blank">Tokyo 2020</a></em>, professional athletes are vying to reach the top by achieving a technical edge over their competition. That <em>edge</em> comes in the form of inertial motion capture. Sponsored by <a href="https://www.jll.co.uk/" target="_blank">JLL</a>, a real estate firm, six climbers were examined using <a href="https://www.xsens.com/products/mvn-analyze" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Xsens MVN Analyze</a> to assess their climbing technique. JLL teamed up with <a href="https://www.isobar.com/sg/en/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Isobar Singapore</a> and <a href="https://mktg.com/offices/singapore/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">MKTG Singapore</a> to work on this innovative project.</p><p><strong>The road to Tokyo</strong></p><p>The introduction of climbing into the Olympics sees the sport divided into three main categories:</p><p>● Speed – Two climbers secure safety ropes to themselves and attempt to scale a 15m-high, 95 degrees wall faster than their opponent on identical routes</p><p>● Bouldering – Athletes climb as many fixed routes on a 4m-high wall as they can within four minutes.</p><p>● Lead – Athletes attempt to climb as high as they can on a wall measuring more than 15m in height, all within six minutes.</p><p>With each section requiring different skillsets, athletes need to learn to adapt their climbing technique.</p><p><strong>Enter, Xsens</strong></p><p><img alt="Climber" class="fr-fic fr-dii" data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://www.xsens.com/hubfs/Climber.png"></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>There are physical limitations for coaches assessing their athletes through observation alone—even video often misses the trick. Details, such as the distance between the climber and the wall, cannot be accurately measured without tools working directly on the climber. With the Xsens sensors, suits can be worn during real climbs and the athletes gained never before seen insights.</p><p>“The technology helps direct the distance between my body and the wall. The coach and I analyzed the movements and he concluded that my body was too far away. With this observation, I know how to improve my climbing,” explained Yau Ka-Chun, one of the six climbers.</p><p>Climbing coaches need as much information as possible when assessing athletes in order to finesse the smaller details in technique, as Tatsumi Yui, Coach and Gym owner found:</p><p>“The skill of the coach plays a big part in finding a climber’s weak point, so by using this technology, it is possible to find the weak point more easily.”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://play.vidyard.com/vGtVJAAZiNC4q3J5HPMimm?disable_popouts=1&amp;v=4.2.20&amp;viral_sharing=0&amp;embed_button=0&amp;hide_playlist=1&amp;color=FFFFFF&amp;playlist_color=FFFFFF&amp;play_button_color=2A2A2A&amp;gdpr_enabled=1&amp;type=inline&amp;new_player_ui=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;loop=0&amp;muted=0&amp;hidden_controls=0&amp;vydata%5Butk%5D=465d693af42ae05f614571b3e65e8679&amp;vydata%5Bportal_id%5D=3446270&amp;vydata%5Bcontent_type%5D=blog-post&amp;vydata%5Bcanonical_url%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.xsens.com%2Fcases%2Fclimbing-to-the-top-a-new-level-of-precision-at-the-tokyo-games&amp;vydata%5Bpage_id%5D=22659192274&amp;vydata%5Bcontent_page_id%5D=22659192274&amp;vydata%5Blegacy_page_id%5D=22659192274&amp;vydata%5Bcontent_folder_id%5D=null&amp;vydata%5Bcontent_group_id%5D=9880291723&amp;vydata%5Bab_test_id%5D=null&amp;vydata%5Blanguage_code%5D=null" title="Video" width="100%"></iframe></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Democratizing data</strong></p><p>After completion, over 100,000 data points are processed to recreate the kinematics of the climb before being uploaded to an online database. There, it can be accessed by coaches for remote analysis, meaning assessments can be made anywhere. The data can also be accessed by other climbers wanting to view and compare their own climbs with rival athletes before meeting them in competition.</p><p><img alt="Screenshot 2019-12-03 at 15.40.17" class="fr-fic fr-dii" data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://www.xsens.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202019-12-03%20at%2015.40.17.png"></p><p>“I was able to see my climbing technique objectively, it’s like seeing myself climb from the point of view of the wall. Especially in speed, I could check my habits,” said Karin Kojima, climber.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RBGDczXd3V8?&amp;wmode=opaque" style="width: 789px; height: 448px;"></iframe></span><br></p><p><strong>Peak Performance</strong></p><p>The introduction of inertial motion capture has the potential to raise the skill level of athletes in an Olympic sport still in its infancy—athletes are reaching for new heights, and&nbsp;<em>holding on</em>.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>MVN Analyze software trial request</strong></p><p>You can request a 15 day trial for the MVN Analyze software by filling out your details <a href="https://www.xsens.com/trial-request?hsCtaTracking=f48936ce-b605-4f6e-aab6-dbcfe43208e3%7Cfbd107a2-d450-495b-a630-f017a7627aec" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

Climbing to the top

A New Level Of Precision For Sport Climbing

<p><a href="https://www.trixter.de/" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">Trixter</a> is one of Germany&rsquo;s leading VFX studios. Their 20-year history has seen the completion of major projects for both television and film, bringing Iron Man, Baby Groot and Goose the cat to life&mdash;this includes work on the soon-to-be-released Marvel feature, <em>Black Widow</em>. In 2018, the studio joined forces with Cinesite, becoming one of the largest independent digital entertainment studios worldwide.</p><p>Their most recent film,<em>&nbsp;The Kangaroo Chronicles (</em><a href="https://www.trixter.de/kangaroo-chronicles/" target="_blank"><em>Die K&auml;nguru-Chroniken</em></a>), utilizes Xsens <a href="https://www.xsens.com/products/mvn-animate" rel="noopener" target="_blank">MVN Animate</a> to produce the leading role, an animated kangaroo. Based on the collections of texts by the German author, Marc-Uwe Kling, produced from the Berlin based Production Company X-Filme creative Pool and directed by their co-founder Dani Levy (Alles auf Zucker/Go for Zucker), the comedy follows an artist and a talking Kangaroo as they take on a Berlin real estate company. We spoke with Character and Creature Animator, <a href="https://www.claudiusurban.com/" target="_blank">Claudius Urban</a>, about his work as Animation Supervisor on the feature and how he built Trixter&rsquo;s motion capture pipeline with the Rigging and Pipeline team.&nbsp;</p><p><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/402846584?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=8dc7dc" width="640" height="360" allowfullscreen="" data-service="vimeo"></iframe></p><p><strong>Mo-cap Experience</strong></p><p>Claudius was first introduced to the Xsens MVN Animate solution when working for the Stuttgart-based studio, <a href="https://www.unexpected.de/" target="_blank">Unexpected</a>. After working freelance for several major studios, Claudius landed an artist role at <a href="https://www.dneg.com/" target="_blank">DNEG</a> where he was reunited with Xsens technology&mdash;Claudius had an opportunity to delve into the motion capture suit&rsquo;s full capabilities, and since then, it&rsquo;s remained his mo-cap solution of choice.&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;From that time on I was always in favor of Xsens. I&rsquo;d say to companies <em>&lsquo;You have to have that kind of suit, it&rsquo;s got so much flexibility&rsquo;.&nbsp;</em>You can just go outside, to a playground for example, and act out all of the moves there&rdquo; said Claudius.</p><p>After returning to Germany, Claudius decided to pitch <a href="https://www.xsens.com/products/mvn-animate?hsCtaTracking=0031f976-823a-4074-8cc4-d6f2347422ae%7C584bb7ed-596e-4dd6-992d-245825acf04f" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Xsens</a> as an alternative to keyframing animation at his new employer, Trixter<em>.&nbsp;</em>Keyframing is the process of drawing the start and endpoints of any animation sequence before filling the in-between.&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;After working freelance, I joined Trixter&mdash;I had worked there before as lead animator on Iron Man 3. The first thing I asked was <em>&lsquo;Do you have a motion-capture pipeline already in place?&rsquo;</em>&mdash;usually, in the VFX business, there&rsquo;s a lot of overtime and artists need to keyframe during time-sensitive schedules. Often, it&rsquo;s just not possible.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;Motion-capture to me is a free pass around these issues. It gives you short cuts. It gives you a part of your life back. And, because you don&rsquo;t have to keyframe everything, you can show several versions of the animation to the director to choose from,&rdquo; said Claudius.</p><p><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/402845775?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=8dc7dc" width="640" height="360" allowfullscreen="" data-service="vimeo"></iframe></p><p><strong>The pipeline</strong></p><p>With motion capture being a new edition to Trixter&rsquo;s production process, Claudius spent time with the Trixter Pipeline and Rigging team, setting up the exact mechanisms that ensured the pipeline remained consistent. His broad experience across some of the world&rsquo;s leading studios gave Claudius an edge when constructing an entirely new pipeline.&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;Because I worked for a lot of different companies, I could take the best elements from each and apply them at Trixter. The usability of Xsens is a huge part of its appeal because you don&rsquo;t have to plug it in. You can jump and move with the suit and run the data via MVN before copying it over into specific folders&mdash;we are able to create a motion capture library of assets for a production to draw from,&rdquo; described Claudius.</p><p>After creating a motion capture library, Claudius and his team utilized time codes to locate and extract the motion data and apply it to the animations. This was especially important for <em>The Kangaroo Chronicles</em>&mdash;the team at Trixter captured the time code for every sequence so that each animator knew which take to use. The result was a cohesive and functioning pipeline that merged into the team&rsquo;s workflow seamlessly.&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;On one side of the library we have all the motion capture takes that we need. On the other side, the rig, and in the middle, a big green button saying<em>&nbsp;&lsquo;Hey please make it&rsquo;</em>. It&rsquo;s possible to copy the timecode directly using ftrack and enter it into this motion capture library and then process through Xsens MVN and into Maya.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;We had a core team of 5 or 6 people that did the blocking for all shots and it was quite amazing because they could complete 5-10 shots within a day. Everybody was quite surprised by how easy it was and how smooth it worked,&rdquo; explained Claudius.</p><p><strong>Versatility and speed</strong></p><p>The ability to record motion capture without a camera setup provides studios with new-found versatility&mdash;an office, studio or local park can set the scene for any motion sequence.&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;We have a cinema review room which also has the ability to complete shots for productions on a different scale&mdash;this was used for previous projects and The Kangaroo Chronicles was shot on-set only. But we also have a playground next to our studio with lots of apparatus that can be utilized successfully for motion capture. You can use the technology pretty much anywhere, that&rsquo;s the thing I love the most about it.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d definitely recommend the Xsens suits to other German companies because often, I&rsquo;ve found they don&rsquo;t have the budget to build a motion capture stage,&rdquo; said Claudius.</p><p>Claudius also found that the suit&rsquo;s ease-of-use provided his team with the speed necessary to complete shots fast without the need for added hours in the studio.&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;One thing that I&rsquo;m really proud of is that we completed around 400 shots within just 6 months with a small team, but we didn&rsquo;t have to do any kind of overtime&mdash;not a single minute! Using this motion capture is definitely one of the reasons why we were able to give the artists part of their lives back. It worked really well For <em>The Kangaroo Chronicles</em> and everybody was really happy. Seeing the movie now, it definitely paid off,&rdquo; said Claudius.</p><p><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/402846352?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=8dc7dc" width="640" height="360" allowfullscreen="" data-service="vimeo"></iframe></p><p><strong>Coming up</strong></p><p>The success of Xsens&rsquo; introduction to Trixter&rsquo;s pipeline has led to the studio applying the same production methods to their on-going and future projects:&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;While I can&rsquo;t name the specific projects we&rsquo;re working on right now, we&rsquo;ve got a lot of shots in the pipeline&mdash;I&rsquo;m using the Xsens suits all the time. Everybody is allowed to jump into the suit and pitch new ideas too. We just had a motion capture shoot recently which went very smoothly. We managed 40 takes within 2 hours in addition to the setup&rdquo; exclaimed Claudius. &nbsp;</p><p>Now equipped with further versatility and speed from Xsens, Trixter will continue to produce features to a high production standard and at an even faster rate&mdash;we look forward to the studio&rsquo;s upcoming releases. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>For more information about <em>The Kangaroo Chronicles</em>, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://trixter.de/" target="_blank">https://trixter.de/</a>.</p>

How Trixter Used Xsens MVN Animate For The Kangaroo Chronicles

Hop Into The Action

<p>The drone, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), has transformed the practice of land surveying, providing a faster, more efficient way to complete large-area surveys complemented by high-resolution visual and thermal aerial images.</p><p>Unfortunately, the two types of conventional drone in common use for surveying today – quadcopters, and fixed-wing craft – both have drawbacks which reduce their effectiveness in surveying and mapping applications.</p><p>Now an ambitious and innovative drone manufacturer, <a href="https://www.atmosuav.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">ATMOS UAV</a> based in Delft, The Netherlands, is disrupting the drone market with a breakthrough design combining take-off and landing from helicopters with the long endurance of airplanes. ATMOS UAV’s goal is to provide the ultimate airborne surveying tool offering the industry’s best all-round performance. To achieve the millimeter-level accuracy that ATMOS UAV’s customers value, it relies on the <a href="https://www.xsens.com/mti-products" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">MTi series</a> of integrated <a href="https://www.xsens.com/inertial-sensor-modules" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">inertial sensor modules</a> from Xsens.</p><p><strong>Easy to launch, fly and land</strong></p><p>Of the two conventional types of drone, the fixed-wing type is better for surveying missions once it is in the air: it cruises faster and more efficiently than the other conventional type of drone, the quadcopter. This means that it can sustain longer flights and cover a greater survey area on each mission. It also offers greater stability in flight and is less affected by wind – an important characteristic for surveying missions which need to capture sharp, high-resolution visual and thermal images, unaffected by blur or other visual artefacts.</p><p>The biggest advantage is its manoeuvrability, which leads to the ability to take-off and land from a small footprint using&nbsp;its Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) capability. Unlike a fixed-wing craft, it requires no runway or slingshot launching device, and operates from a tiny landing area.</p><p>The breakthrough made by ATMOS was to develop Marlyn, a hybrid fixed-wing UAV which performs vertical take-off and landing from a 2m x 2m landing area, but which cruises smoothly and efficiently.</p><p><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LtcLD3zOHAc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-gtm-yt-inspected-37="true" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe></span><br></p><p>&nbsp;The fully-electric Marlyn drone includes a redundant dual battery system which enables it to fly uninterrupted for 50 minutes, reaching a top speed of 95km/h when cruising. The flight plan is easy to program before each flight in ATMOS’ intuitive Marlynk software tool. The drone offers impressive stability in flight: it can handle wind speeds up to 6 Bft (45km/h) during take-off, cruising and landing.</p><div class="u_fNK" data-grammarly-part="highlights" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px;"><div style="box-sizing: content-box; top: 483px; left: 0px; width: 778px; height: 39px; position: relative; pointer-events: none; overflow: hidden; border: 0px; border-radius: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px;"><div style="height: 959px; width: 2485px;"><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div><div class="u_fNK" data-grammarly-part="button" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px;"><div style="box-sizing: content-box; top: 483px; left: 0px; width: 778px; height: 39px; position: relative; pointer-events: none; overflow: hidden; border: 0px; border-radius: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="position: absolute; transform: translate(-100%, -100%); top: 29px; left: 773px; width: auto; height: auto; pointer-events: all;"><div style="flex-direction: row; display: none; pointer-events: auto;"><div style="position: relative;"><div class="_2vV1Z _3uWIx" style="position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px;"><div class="_2mmtW"><div class="-mjUa"><div class="_1NNY0 _3PC-V" style="transform: scale(1);">0</div>&nbsp;Advanced issue found<div class="SY83w _5pAkg">▲</div><div class="_3pmCo"><br></div></div></div></div></div><div><div class="_5WizN _1QzSN"><div class="_3YmQx"><div class="_3QdKe" title="Protected by Grammarly">&nbsp;</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p><br></p><div class="u_fNK" data-grammarly-part="highlights" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px;"><div style="box-sizing: content-box; top: 483px; left: 0px; width: 778px; height: 39px; position: relative; pointer-events: none; overflow: hidden; border: 0px; border-radius: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px;"><div style="height: 959px; width: 2485px;"><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div><div class="u_fNK" data-grammarly-part="button" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px;"><div style="box-sizing: content-box; top: 483px; left: 0px; width: 778px; height: 39px; position: relative; pointer-events: none; overflow: hidden; border: 0px; border-radius: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div style="position: absolute; transform: translate(-100%, -100%); top: 29px; left: 773px; width: auto; height: auto; pointer-events: all;"><div style="flex-direction: row; display: none; pointer-events: auto;"><div style="position: relative;"><div class="_2vV1Z _3uWIx" style="position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px;"><div class="_2mmtW"><div class="-mjUa"><div class="_1NNY0 _3PC-V" style="transform: scale(1);">0</div>&nbsp;Advanced issue found<div class="SY83w _5pAkg">▲</div><div class="_3pmCo"><br></div></div></div></div></div><div><div class="_5WizN _1QzSN"><div class="_3YmQx"><div class="_3QdKe" title="Protected by Grammarly">&nbsp;</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNTg4MzQwMjQwOTQzLU1hcmx5bmsuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="Marlynk2" srcset="https://www.xsens.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marlynk2.png?width=408&amp;name=Marlynk2.png 408w, https://www.xsens.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marlynk2.png?width=815&amp;name=Marlynk2.png 815w, https://www.xsens.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marlynk2.png?width=1223&amp;name=Marlynk2.png 1223w, https://www.xsens.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marlynk2.png?width=1630&amp;name=Marlynk2.png 1630w, https://www.xsens.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marlynk2.png?width=2038&amp;name=Marlynk2.png 2038w, https://www.xsens.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marlynk2.png?width=2445&amp;name=Marlynk2.png 2445w" sizes="(max-width: 815px) 100vw, 815px" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><span class="fr-inner" contenteditable="true" spellcheck="false"><em>The intuitive user interface of the Marlynk flight planning software</em>&nbsp;</span></span></p><p><br></p><p>ATMOS supplies Marlyn with a choice of surveying cameras which produce visual, thermal or multi-spectral outputs in all the common data formats supported by professional surveying software systems.</p><p><strong>Millimeter-scale geolocation accuracy</strong></p><p>The dynamic characteristics of Marlyn, then, enable surveyors to fly long missions over large survey areas, with the convenience and ease of use that VTOL capability offers.</p><p>But the real test of surveying equipment is its geolocational accuracy – and here Marlyn excels, thanks to its high-performance <a href="https://www.xsens.com/products/mti-100-series" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">MTi-G-710-GNSS</a> motion sensor module from Xsens. The MTi-G-710-GNSS is Xsens’ most full-featured sensor: it integrates a 3D accelerometer, 3D gyroscope, magnetometer and a receiver input for a GNSS satellite positioning signal into a small 37mm x 33mm x 12mm module which weighs just 11g. Low power consumption of just 750mW in normal operation helps ATMOS to prolong the Marlyn’s flight duration between battery charges.</p><p>The MTi-G-710-GNSS provides high-quality attitude, position, velocity, acceleration, magnetic heading and rate-of-turn data. The GNSS receiver features a multiple-constellation configuration which maintains high location accuracy, even during periods of limited GNSS visibility. Proprietary sensor fusion software developed by Xsens combines the unit’s inertial measurements with the satellite signals to produce accurate positioning data at an output data rate of up to 400Hz. In the Marlyn system, the survey outputs and visual/thermal images are tagged with geolocational data accurate to as little as ±10mm.</p><p>The sensor module’s attitude and heading data outputs are also used to stabilize the Marlyn drone in flight, and to enable optical image stabilization. The low latency of the Xsens sensor – less than 2ms – means that these stabilization systems can respond in real-time to events such as gusts of wind which disturb the drone’s attitude.</p><p>Despite the internal complexity of the MTi-G-710-GNSS module’s components, the outputs were easy for Marlyn’s developers to integrate into their system software, thanks to the MT Software Suite developer tool, supplied free by Xsens with any MTi module.</p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNTg4MzQwMzU0Njg4LUFUTU9TLVVBVi5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p>Rene Worms, Global Head of Sales at ATMOS, says that the positional accuracy of Marlyn is the key to its position as the industry’s premium airborne surveying tool. He says: ‘Marlyn offers surveying professionals the highest productivity as well as the most accurate and detailed outputs. To be able to make this promise, we specify premium components which provide the best performance. That’s why we chose the MTi-G-710-GNSS, which gives us a unique combination of high accuracy, reliability, small size and weight, and ease of use.’</p><p><em>For more information about the Marlyn surveying drone, go to&nbsp;</em><a href="http://www.atmosuav.com/" target="_blank"><em>www.atmosuav.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>

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