In a strategic move to enhance its motion capture capabilities, Vicon has acquired Manchester-based Captive Devices Ltd, renowned for its head-mounted camera systems designed for markerless facial performance capture. This acquisition marks a significant expansion of Vicon’s product offerings, allowing for a more integrated approach to both facial and body capture.
Expansion of Capabilities
Vicon, the motion capture division of Oxford Metrics, has welcomed Captive Devices’ founding team into its fold immediately following the acquisition. This collaboration aims to bolster Vicon’s existing systems, enabling a seamless integration of facial and body performance capture technologies—a combination that no other vendor currently offers in the market.
Industry Reception
Various high-profile studios such as Ninja Theory, Nant Studios, Animatrik, and Deep Silver Dambuster Studios are already utilizing Captive Devices’ technology to capture facial performance for a range of applications including visual effects, gaming, and virtual production. David “Ed” Edwards, Vicon’s product lead for entertainment and hardware, emphasized the historical divide in how studios source these types of capture technology, stating, “This pairing closes a real gap for studios in film, games, and virtual production.”
Preserving Core Technologies
While the acquisition will enhance Vicon’s offerings, the company assures that its marker-based optical motion capture systems, which have been the foundation of its business for over 40 years, will not change. Instead, Vicon frames this acquisition as a supplementary development that allows clients to layer markerless facial capture onto their existing setups.
Efficient Workflow Enhancements
The CoreHMC system from Captive Devices integrates directly with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, allowing performers and crews to capture, review, and adjust facial performances in real time on set. This capability means that studios already using Unreal Engine can adopt the technology seamlessly, without facing a lengthy transition period.
Aiming for Global Reach
Fred Isaac, co-founder of Captive Devices, underscored the benefits of this acquisition in extending the reach of their technology. “Joining Vicon gives us the manufacturing scale, sales distribution, and global support network to put CoreHMC in front of far more studios than we could reach alone,” said Isaac. He noted that the customer service approach and the technology itself will remain consistent while gaining the advantages of Vicon’s established reputation and resources.
Strategic Investment for the Future
Imogen O’Connor, CEO of Oxford Metrics, described the acquisition as a natural fit that enhances Vicon’s offerings. “Vicon can now offer customers a more integrated, end-to-end body and face capture workflow that enables them to capture, analyze, and animate human performance with even greater efficiency than before,” she stated. O’Connor highlighted that these targeted investments are crucial for Vicon’s growth strategy, as they aim to build on their existing strengths with differentiated technology and specialist expertise.
A Legacy of Excellence
Founded in 1984, Vicon has built a reputation for creating motion capture systems applicable in various fields, from life sciences and entertainment to virtual reality and engineering. Its extensive client roster includes industry giants such as Dreamworks, Electronic Arts, Sony, and Warner Bros., while Oxford Metrics proudly serves thousands of customers across over 70 countries.
