Sony recently announced Mocopi, a set of wearable trackers that record users’ movements and transfers them to a digital avatar, which will launch in Japan in January 2023. Mocopi consists of six IMU trackers, one for each wrist and ankle, one for your hip and one for your head. The trackers utilise an inertial measurement unit that measures the wearer’s movement via an accelerometer and gyroscope.
The data collected by the IMU trackers is sent to a skeletal model transferring the user’s movements to their avatar. While the avatar’s movements may not precisely mimic the user’s, the result is still impressive. Despite being compatible with VR, Sony is marketing the device as a metaverse product.
“We label this a metaverse product instead of a VR peripheral because we expect the virtual world to further blend with the real world,” said Sony motion business group senior manager Takeshi Aimi. “People will access the metaverse without head-mounted displays in the future, and we didn’t want to limit the product’s use to just VR users.”
Does Mocopi Support Your Phone?
Mocopi’s IMU trackers weigh 8 grams each and plug into the included charging case, allowing users to charge all six trackers at once. Each tracker has a battery life of roughly ten hours and takes an hour and a half to fully recharge. To use Mocopi, users must download the app and connect it to their phone via Bluetooth. Currently, Mocopi only supports iPhone 12 and up and recent Sony Xperia phones.
According to the CTO of VRChat, Jesse Joudry, Mocopi will allow for full body tracking with VR headsets without needing to connect to a computer in the future. When this feature will be available is not yet clear. However, outside developers will be able to access an SDK to integrate Mocopi as of December 15th.
Preorders in Japan open mid-December at ¥49500 or $360. As of now, no information is available concerning a global release.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
