Sony has revealed a mobile motion capture kit called Mocopi and this will let anyone create their own VR avatars for use in apps like VRChat. The kit, which will be available for 49,500 yen (approximately $360), uses six easy-to-wear sensors that will be able to capture data both outdoors and indoors.
How the Mocopi motion capture kit creates VR avatars
Mocopi uses six small and lightweight motion sensors for the head, hip, both wrists, and both ankles that can be attached using velcro bands. These capture real-time motion input and the data is then sent to a dedicated mobile app where Sony’s proprietary algorithm does all of the hard work. The aim of the kit is to allow anyone to create basic motion capture without being restricted to a dedicated studio and software.
The data can be used to make avatars move in real time with compatible services like VRChat. An additional dev kit will be released on December 15 that will then allow this data to also be used with Metaverse services and other 3D development software like Unity and MotionBuilder. Alternatively, avatar motion videos can be created within the app to be exported as mp4 files.
Mocopi is due to be released in Japan at the end of January 2023 but only through dedicated Sony Stores. Pre-orders will begin in mid-December. There is no word on when the equipment will be available in other regions, or whether it will be compatible with PSVR 2 at the time of writing.
