INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Rokoko CEO and founder Jakob Balslev gives 3D World six reasons to be excited for their game-changing Smartgloves

Seven sensors, including one on the wrist, help to ensure accurate tracking of the entire arm as well as the hand/fingers

R okoko, the creators of accessible character animation and motion capture tools, is putting the future in its users’ hands with the revolutionary Smartgloves.

The notoriously difficult art of animating 3D finger and hand motion has historically been out of reach for the vast majority of creators. With pairs available for $995 and a commitment to ease of use, Rokoko aims to make professional-quality finger tracking a reality for all creators. The gloves can even be paired with Rokoko’s intuitive Smartsuit Pro to create a full-body mocap solution. Rokoko’s founder and CEO Jakob Balslev spoke to 3D World about why the community should be excited about this pioneering solution.

YOU CAN USE ROKOKO HARDWARE ANYWHERE

My graduation project at film school was this super ambitious animation where we used motion capture to live-render the data from actors and show them as a live animation in front of an audience. We pulled it off but the only mocap option we had was to buy an expensive optical system. You needed a dedicated studio, a whole staff of people that knew all kinds of stuff, and it was incredibly expensive. That’s what spurred the idea of inventing our own systems. It had to be affordable, something I could operate myself and could use anywhere. We took sensors like those in your cellphone that each has a gyro, an accelerometer, and a compass. We built them into this textile suit with a little computer that sends through wi-fi to your computer or smart device. All the tech is inside a textile suit, so if you know how to put on your clothes, you know how to set up the system. With optical systems, you need distance from walls and you can’t have direct sunlight because of infrared. All of that is gone, now you can use it anywhere.