From: ascen@world.std.com (Ascension Technology) Subject: NEW-PROD: Wireless Magnetic tracking Date: Tue, 6 Aug 1996 18:40:21 GMT Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA Wireless Magnetic motion capture MotionStarWireless (TM) Sets Performers Free New Orleans, LA. (USA), August 6, 1996 -- The world's first magnetic tracker to shed its cables is now available. It is being exhibited this week at the annual SIGGRAPH exhibition by its developer, Ascension. MotionStar Wireless captures the motions of human performers for real-time animation of computer characters. It will be widely used for animating characters in movies, TV and video games. Motion capture lets a freely-moving performer get under the skin, literally, of a 3D computer-generated character. Animated results, formerly taking weeks to produce, are instantly available on screen for direction, camera positioning, and interaction.. "Wireless is the breakthrough demanded by the entertainment industry," said Ascension's Jack Scully. "It lets performers twist, flip, and pirouette without ever losing data or getting tied up in knots." Until now, magnetic motioin capture meant harnessing a performer to a computer: one cable for each sensor tracked. Cabling restricted motion, weighted down the perfromer and affected convenience of use. Notwithstanding, magnetic tracking is the preferred method of motion capture in the animation community. It is much less expensive than optical systems, and does not require a clear line of sight between sensor and transmitter. "No one will trip over a trailing cable again," said Scully. "MotionStar Wireless will give people the freedom and ease of movement found in optical systems without compromise in tracker performance." MotionStar Wireless utilizes pulsed DC magnetic fields emitted by its long-range transmitter to track the position and orientation of each sensor over 100 times per second. Range extends over a 20-foot diameter with the transmitter in the center. Up to 14 sensors may be mounted on key points on a performer. Inputs from the sensors travel via cables to a miniaturized, batter-powered electronics unit mounted in a "fanny" pack." From here, sensor data and other signals from body-mounted peripherals, such as data gloves, are sent through the air to a base station for final processing. The outputs are transmitted to the user's host computer via a serial or ethernet interface. MotionStar Wireless outputs provide the real-time motion cues for animation software from Alias/Wavefrontt, Softimage, MEDIALAB, Mr. Film, DigiArts, 3D Studio, and others. In addition to use in character animation, MotionStar Wireless has application in interactive game playing, virtual reality, biomechanical analysis, sports/medical analysis, and human performance assessment. Ascension Technology Corporation, headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont, is one of the premiere designers and manufacturers of 3D motion trackers in the world today. If offers a full line of trackers ranging from a PC card model to a MotionStar model capable of tracking 120 sensors simultaneously. -END- See our new web page at http://www.ascension-tech.com Contact Ascension for more Information about our products. Tel: (802)860-6440 Fax: (802) 860-6439 email: ascension@ascension-tech.com -- -------------------------------------------------- Ascension Technology Corporation, ascen@sover.net Marketing: Jack Scully, ext:11, amarket@sover.net [MODERATOR'S NOTE: Commercial postings are offered on this newsgroup as a public service. Their appearance here does not indicate endorsement by the moderators or by the USENET or its administrators.]