Vicon Launches New Active Wand to Speed-Up Calibration and Further Streamline Motion Capture Workflows
Users can now cut wand wave time in half with faster calibration, increased system reliability and wand uptime
The Active Wand addresses key customer pain points, including lengthy calibration processes due to limited LED visibility, battery health, and the inability to calibrate Near Infrared (NIR) and Infrared (IR) cameras simultaneously. For customers, this often meant difficult calibrations in large capture spaces, increased physical work, wand downtime, and double the calibration time for those with mixed camera systems.
Active Wand is designed for those who prioritize high-quality calibration, reduced system setup time, seamless and consistent optimization and maintaining camera compatibility. Two versions are available: The standard version to support IR-only camera systems and the Active Wand Hybrid, which supports both NIR and IR mixed camera systems. The Hybrid version allows users to calibrate new Vicon IR cameras mixed with legacy NIR cameras using a single wand.
Key features and benefits of Active Wand include:
Faster Calibration: With enhanced visibility due to dual-sided high-intensity LEDs, the tool allows more cameras to track it simultaneously, collecting calibration data at up to twice the speed.
Easier Wand Waves: The ergonomic design facilitates shorter and simpler movements, making the calibration process less physically demanding. It’s also manufactured to be compatible with third-party handle extensions for harder-to-reach areas in large volumes or outdoors.
Enhanced Reliability: Improved battery health offers at least four hours of usage on a full charge in strobe mode. The user-replaceable power extends wand life, and the standard USB-C charger allows for easy charging anywhere.
“Active Wand represents another significant step forward in optimizing motion capture workflows,” said Paul Smyth, Research Director at Vicon. “Just as Active Crown transformed camera tracking for virtual production, the Active Wand redefines the calibration experience across a range of segments including life sciences, entertainment, VR and engineering. It’s the latest product in our portfolio that aims to help customers save time and deliver unparalleled reliability so they can focus on value-added work rather than set-up and logistics.”
Active Wand is compatible with Vicon’s leading software applications, including Nexus (Life Sciences), Shogun (Entertainment), Evoke (VR) and Tracker (Engineering), creating fast and easy calibration for accurate, reliable, and repeatable data collection.
The launch of Active Wand comes on the heels of Vicon’s Active Crown launch in May. Active Crown transforms unreliable camera tracking into robust, dependable motion data. Its innovative design minimizes interference and provides virtual production professionals with flexible, reliable tracking for cameras positioned anywhere on In-Camera Visual Effects (ICVFX) stages.
