Most of you would have heard the word 'Motion Capture'(aka MoCap),ever wondered what is it?.It is the process of recording the motion/movement of realtime subject onto a digital model.A more simpler defenition would be the process of transfering the actions done by realtinme subject onto a computer generated model.

How was this developed?

This was an idea that developed from the method used by 2d animators,who would record the perfomance of an actor,then using the video and analysing it frame by frame they would try to recreate the same motion in their animations(drawings).There is not much difference between this method and motion capture,the only difference being - motion capture uses computer to capture the perfomance in realtime 3D.

So what are the applications of motion capturing?

Motion capture involves capturing the movements of the actor or the facial expressions,camera movements,etc.,One of the major areas where motion capture is used is in animating 3D model,in games for realistic game experience,in virtual reality systems like diving simulation,it is also used in medical field to train surgeons and to assist in performing surgery using precition robotic arms, in biomechanical studies, to study human motion for applications of it in realtime mechanics,etc.,

How do they do it?

Well there are quite a lot of ways to achieve motion capturing,one of the prominent ways is to use markers.Markers are photo reflective/emittive objects(small in size) placed at key points such that with minimal markers, maximum motion can be captured,usually markers are placed in joints and places that need referencing.There markers are tracked by sensors,there by determining the position of each marker in 3D space.

The Pro's and Con's of motion capturing:

The main advantage of this method is that it saves time, since it is easier to animate a 3D model once motion capturing is employed.Also for some applications, realtime results can be obtained(the movements of a person triggers actions in computer model in realtime).Longer, more dangerous shots can be easily animated and created using motion capture technology.

Though there are a good set of advantages in using motion capture,there are some setbacks-the cost for setting up motion capture,the equipment are costly moreover handling motion capture data is tedious if the process was faulty or if the proportions of the 3D model and real life actor doesn't match.