Motion Capture

(Capture of Movements) and Motion Sensors:
A technique that allows you to capture the movements of a real character, and transfer them to an "imaginary" digital character.
It can be implemented by applying electrodes on the actor, which will act as key points for the skeleton of the virtual character, or, through software support, simply through one or more cameras, better if "3d", like that of the Xbox console, which intelligently will break down the subject into polygonal units and will be able to trace the most important movements.

Used at present in Hollywood productions, such as "The Planet of the Apes", "Kink Kong" etc, allows you to use real acting actors and transfer them to digital characters.
Also used in the "artistic" field, for example in Merce Cunningham's video dance works.

The captured movements don't necessarly need to be translated on characters similar to the actors: for example, personally in my new short film "Ulysses", I am using this technique to transfer the movement of my hands on the sea waves, and make them "dance" to my liking, following Vivaldi's rhythm.

This is a very rough proof, made using the kinekt sensor for the xbox console. My movement has been resumed and transferred to the bird.

It is a very impressive technique to be used also in artistic video installations : for example, the viewer can be "captured", and his movements will cause an action-reaction in the scene.