Mocopi: Sony brings motion tracking to the home

With Mocopi, Sony has announced a motion tracking system for the home that transfers the user's movements as precisely as possible to a virtual avatar in the metaverse. The total of six sensors for hands, feet, back and head cost the equivalent of around 360 euros, but Mocopi has only been announced for Japan for the time being.

Start first in Japan

Advance sales in Japan will start in mid-December of this year, and the motion tracking sensors will then be delivered at the end of January 2023. It is not yet known whether other markets will soon be supplied with the product. The colour-coded sensors are attached to the arms, legs, back and head with straps and a clip. They have to be connected to a smartphone with their own app and use proprietary technology – Sony has not yet disclosed any details on either.

< h2 class="text-width text-h2" id="section_echtzeit_motiontracking_mit_wenigen_sensoren">Real-time motion tracking with few sensors

With Mocopi, videos of a virtual avatar can be recorded and an avatar can be directly controlled in real time in the metaverse. Metaverse apps like VRChat can be used for this. Although only six sensors are used, Sony promises a high level of accuracy when detecting movements with Mocopi. This is intended to save both time and space when creating corresponding video content, for example by “VTuber” (virtual YouTubers). However, Sony will also provide a Software Development Kit (SDK) starting December 15, for example to import motion data into animation applications and couple the tracking data to Metaverse services.

Sony Mocopi (Image: Sony)

The sensors from Sony Mocopi (Image: Sony)

Sony Mocopi (image: Sony)

For filmmakers too

With Mocopi, Sony is not only aiming for the Metaverse, but also wants to win over filmmakers and creative people. Sony states that existing avatars in VRM file format can be used for Mocopi and recorded videos can be exported in MP4 format. This requires an Android device with Android 11 or higher or an iOS device with iOS 15.7.1 or higher.

Also for PS5 and PS VR2?< /h2>

With which products the sensors can still be used in the future and whether they can also be used in conjunction with the PlayStation 5 and the VR headset PS VR2, which will be launched in February 2023, is not clear yet.