Sony Electronics is launching its Mocopi mobile motion capture system in the United States. Using a dedicated smartphone app for iOS and Android, the wireless system enables full-body motion tracking, captured by six small, lightweight sensors. Sony has been marketing Mocopi in Japan where virtual streamers (also called “VTubers”) have been using the system to drive avatars and fictional animated characters. Mocopi allows users to go mobile with virtual reality, loosening time and location constraints. Sony is now taking preorders for the $499 Mocopi system, which ships July 14.

“The system is ultimately designed to record a user’s movements and then mirror them in digital environments — hence the mashup of ‘motion’ and ‘copy,” reports The Verge, listing “plenty of different use cases for this kind of tech, from allowing animators to rig 3D characters with more realistic motions, to allowing VTubers to replicate their movements in real time across streams and virtual reality platforms like VR Chat.”

In its Mocopi announcement, Sony also mentions applications such as fitness videos and the metaverse.

Mocopi’s tracking sensors are about the size of an Apple Airtag, and send data via Bluetooth to the phone’s Android or iOS app, which means it can deploy basically anywhere.

“The sensors strap to your head, hip, both ankles, and both wrists to provide up to 10 hours of wireless, full-body tracking,” The Verge writes. They are stored in a USB-C charging case that Sony says reaches full capacity in about 90 minutes.

“Creators can capture their motion data or video of their avatars in motion with the mobile app or send motion data to compatible third-party software in real time, providing users with a new way to interact within VR,” Sony says.

In addition to targeting creator hobbyists, Sony is making Mocopi software development kits available for integration with professional platforms such as Unity, MotionBuilder and Unreal Engine. Sony notes plans for additional partnerships.

The Verge points out that “while there are some affordable VR headsets like the Meta Quest 2 that can be similarly utilized in VR applications, these won’t provide the finesse of a dedicated motion capture tool — especially when it comes to lower body tracking.”

Software-based alternatives like Rokoko and Luppet have hit the market in recent years, relying on a user’s webcam, “but these generally don’t provide full-body tracking, and those that do can be inconsistent and usually don’t hold a candle to hardware-based offerings,” per The Verge.

Although Mocopi can’t track facial expressions or fingers, the price and portability make it a good choice for certain uses.