Stunt Capture:
Is the Xsens mocap system rugged enough?
We often get questions about stunt capture. During stunt capture, the actor (or actors) perform intense and highly dynamic movements, and most of the time they need protection such as mats or harnesses. This can be hard on the actor, but also on the mocap gear, will it hold?
Our answer is simple: It will probably break the actor first before it breaks the Xsens system.
Stunt Capture
Many of our clients do very radical stunts. Think about fighting, jumping, rolling, bumping, crashing, and other dangerous stunts that are very demanding for the actor(s) and the gear they are wearing. When they wear an Xsens mocap suit, there are 17 sensors, a body pack, and a battery embedded in the suit, and you don't want them to break.
Secondly, you want the sensors to stay fixed in the designated location on the body for the best quality data. If you did a correct calibration, this calibration file will help you to HD Reprocess all the data.
The Xsens mocap system can take a hit, you don't have to hold back when you do stunts. Here are some numbers to illustrate how rugged the system is:
- The sensor housing has special tubes built in to resist a force of 100 kg
- The components can handle a shock of 10,000 g
- The cabling is partly made of Kevlar so it can resist a strain of 50 kg
- Although you cannot go swimming, you can use the system in the rain
Safety
In the video below (at 2:18) you can see how Eric Jacobus and his team at SuperAlloy Interactive try hard to break the Xsens system for the God of War: Ragnarök game.
Our advice is always:
If you protect your actor well enough, the Xsens system will endure it.
The video also shows this; they use mats and cushions for actor protection. These are skilled actors who are experienced enough to show a maximum impact while staying safe and unharmed.
Xsens mocap
Xsens helps animators to create realistic movements for characters and by choosing Xsens, you’re not just investing in technology, but also in the future of your studio, your team, and your storytelling.
Explore the world of Xsens motion capture by visiting the MVN Animate page, or you can request more information via this link.
