Introducing Airtrack.
Get Ready to Fly.
Freedom of Expression
Early visual effects shots are easily spotted by their completely stationary camera. As tracking technology improved, the camera kept moving more. Many modern VFX sequences are characterized by extreme handheld camera work to match the drama of the unfolding event.
Until recently, tracking handheld camera motion was limited either to laborious post processing or cumbersome motion capture stages using 30+ cameras. With the Airtrack rotary tracking module all of this changes.
The Airtrack module (sold separately) provides an accurate, low noise (+/- ~0.01 degree), genlocked rotary motion tracking source that requires no external reference. Simply mount it the camera body using standard matte box rail mounts, connect a tri-level sync source, DC power (6-24V), and the Airtrack provides a stable tracking signal to Previzion over a RS232 connection.
Fast On the Draw
Airtrack’s high speed internal measurement systems can track over two hundred degrees per second of rotary motion! This is enough tracking bandwidth to handle vigorous shots. Airtrack can even be used to measure ‘road noise’ – the uneven, bouncy motion that characterizes actual driving shots.
This motion is usually removed laboriously through a stabilized motion control head or in post, but this loses much of the realistic feel of a camera car. Using the Airtrack data to add shake to plates shot on a stationary car buck or to drive a shaker table can add significant realism to driving plates.
Intersense Integration
Airtrack’s precision tracking data is limited to angular measurements, so it is best suited for handheld shots where the camera operator isn’t walking. For shots that require XYZ translation, and for nearly any Steadicam type shot, an additional tracking reference is needed.
As described [here], the Intersense IS-1200 VisTracker provides a very compact, high accuracy 6DOF tracking source. The XYZ data output of the Intersense is sufficiently accurate for many shots. However, the rotary data output generally exhibits about +/- 0.1 degree of noise, which is very visible when compared with a live action background.
Previzion enables fusing the 6DOF data of the Intersense with the 3DOF high precision rotary data of the Airtrack. This provides an integrated, high accuracy solution that is capable of tracking very large moves inside the volume of a soundstage. In addition, the optical targets used by the Intersense can be readily mounted on standard Spacelights, creating a non-invasive solution for tracking dramatic camera moves that won’t get in the way of the lighting and camera crews.