During a presentation yesterday by Intel CEO Paul Otellini at CES 2008, human motion detection and analysis technology from Organic Motion, Inc., a NYC firm, was used in real-time to digitize and stream a performance by the group Smashmouth into a virtual world , “so the band played as lifelike animated characters.” Notwithstanding the awe of the geek audience, Organic Motion technology should be of interest to clinicians in a number of fields, from rehab to orthopedics to neurology.
Organic Motion’s markerless motion capture system introduces several unprecedented features for real-time 3D human tracking. The technology frees the subject from wearing any kind of physical markers, and every person is sized and tracked instantly. In essence, Organic Motion creates a natural interface to capture and analyze the millions of complex motions performed by people. This unique ability enables Organic Motion to propel motion capture beyond its current use in animation and production or research facilities and become a driving force in an explosion of computer vision applications that are beneficial for the general public.
“Intel is investing in a vision of the future where game and other cyberspace interactions are controlled by an individual’s gestures and voice instead of by game pads and wands,” said Justin Rattner, Chief Technology Officer, Intel Corporation. “Organic Motion’s computer vision technology is part of that future where the collaborative Internet is visual rather than textual and in 3D rather than 2D. In this era of multi-core processors and mainstream parallel applications, the Organic Motion technology is not only possible but highly affordable. Suffice it to say that the ability to process multiple live video feeds to create accurate 3D models has far-reaching applications in the consumer and enterprise market segments.”
By eliminating all mechanical tracking devices and generating data in real-time, Organic Motion captures human motion like never before seen in the industry. This technology can track multiple subjects in rapid succession and utilize their motion instantly – creating unlimited possibilities for new applications such as everyday medical use, new forms of retail interaction, and completely immersive entertainment and branding opportunities.
Technology page: BioStage …
Brochure: BioStage™ (.pdf)
Press release: Organic Motion Demonstrates Future of Computer Vision in Intel CEO’s Keynote at CES …