motion capture

American  

[moh-shuhn kap-cher] / ˈmoʊ ʃən ˌkæp tʃər /

noun

1. a data collection technique in which the movements of people and objects are tracked, recorded, and rendered to create animations, as for a video game.

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motion capture British  

noun

1. a process by which a device can be used to capture patterns of live movement; the data is then transmitted to a computer, where simulation software displays it applied to a virtual actor

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Etymology

Origin of motion capture

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

As well as being his biggest video game role to date, Saros was also Kohli's first experience of motion capture.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

Beimel uses motion capture to provide pitching feedback, and uses health technology that coincides with its athletes having to self-report daily to track overexertion and determine how best to use their bodies.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 20, 2025

Ray points out that voice actors had the option of taking work outside of video games, but the strike was especially hard for actors who specialise in motion capture.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2025

In 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin was recreated through a mix of motion capture, CGI and archival material, decades after Cushing’s death.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2025

"Maybe we can do like a motion capture day somehow. Do some animal studies, as it were."

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2024