Sony has announced a new motion-tracking system of metaverse wearables empowering users to control a virtual digital avatar in real-time.
The Sony system named ‘Mocopi’ features six colorful wearables, each looking something like an oversized button, but smaller than an average watch face. The package includes 2 wearables each for arms and legs, one for the waist, and one for the head. According to Sony, each wearable is a superlightweight 8 grams.
Wearables That Require No Base Station
Mocopi is said to be a riff on motion and copy, reflecting its use as a motion input device. The system uses Bluetooth technology to pair its wearables to either an iPhone or Android device in conjunction with a motion capture smartphone app such as Unity.
Sony describes Mocopi as a completely wireless system that does not require a base station, making the system extremely portable.
As Sony itself states (auto-translated from Japanese to English via Google):
“Mocopi is a motion capture system that can easily perform full body tracking in 3D anywhere by simply attaching 6 small sensors. Not only for those who want to try full-body tracking, but it can be used anywhere, so it will expand the range of your activities, such as outdoor locations using avatars.”
Sony further states that the whole bundle can be charged in 90 minutes or less with a battery life of up to 10 hours, although it does place some usage caveats on the second part of that claim.
Sony says the system will be available in Japan from January 2023 and it is expected to retail at 49,500 yen (around £60).
There is no global release date thus far, and some details remain more than a little hazy.
So far the technology has been marketed for its potential to control digital avatars, but it is conceivable that it could find other applications perhaps even in the next wave of move-to-earn applications.
That will very much depend on whether the system finds itself interoperable with a wide range of systems. Some questions about Mocopi may be answered when Sony demonstrates the tech at the Virtual Market 2022.
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