Market Overview

Motion capture is a technology of translating the movement of actual (physical) people or objects into digital data. By capturing and tracking the position and motion of parts of the body like joints that characterize human movements using cameras and sensors, human motion can be translated/recorded into digital data and visualized numerically.

Three major types of motion capture systems are: 1) optical system, which uses multiple cameras to track markers attached to a person or an object to identify the motion by the positions or angles between the markers, 2) inertial system, which uses reflective markers with built in sensors placed on the skin to detect/measure body movements, and 3) magnetic system, which utilizes magnetic field generated by magnetic coils placed on the body to record the movements. Each type of system realizes motion capture in a different method.

Motion capture is already utilized in the fields like entertainment, sports, and medicine. It is also used in filming industry as it enables movie creation using digital data, the global market size of motion capture system in 2022 is expected to grow to 110.0% of the previous year to 81,620 million yen (based on the sales at businesses). 

Viewing by system type, optical system has been the most developed, and is the mainstream method at present because it is superior to other types in terms of data accuracy, versatility, and scalability, and for being less burdensome for the object/person. With further development of hardware and software that enhance performance of the system, and with new technologies like markerless solutions, the demand for optical system is expected to expand both in existing and new markets. 

While an advantage lies in inertial system for enabling the capturing in a condition where optical system has difficulty tracking markers, it has quality issues in data accuracy compared to optical system. With technological developments, inertial system is expected to advance in new fields as with optical system.

Magnetic system exceeds in tracking subjects even when there are obstacles in the magnetic field, the person/object’s action is restricted because the capture range is narrower. For this reason, to expand its usage other than medical fields, where it is currently utilized especially for capturing slight movements of the hands/fingers of medical practitioners, providers need to introduce to other fields what can be achieved with this characteristic. To increase applications, a top priority is to develop technological features required by many industries.

Noteworthy Topics

Entertainment Sector Keeps on Evolving with Times

Entertainment sector has been a major growth driver of the motion capture system market, for the growing demand for 3D computer graphics in the film making. 
Demand for motion capture system is expected to rise particularly in entertainment industry overseas, as its use is increasingly seen in the creation of 3D computer graphics for films, images for TV shows, and music videos.

In Japan, optical system occupies the most of motion capture system for entertainment industry at present, because it is currently acknowledged as the best system for image creation.

Meanwhile, with technological development, gradual expansion of the market share of inertial system for entertainment sector is anticipated. In particular, inertial system by Xsens is likely to expand in sales volume hereafter, for its ease of use and price advantages over optical systems. Market growth of inertial motion capture system like Xsens may exceed the growth of optical systems market.

Future Outlook

On an assumption that use in sports and medical fields continues, and its adoption widens in the entertainment sector and VR/AR applications, the global motion capture system market is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 12.3% between 2020 and 2025, reaching 120,442 million yen by 2025 (based on the sales at businesses). 
 


From 2025 onwards, motion capture technology may find new opportunities in the entertainment industry and in other industries. With the market growth in new fields, the global motion capture system market is expected to exceed 200,000 million yen by 2030, reaching 217,320 million yen.

Research Outline