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      RSS Lab: Stype RedSpy 3

      Getting an upgrade is always fun and exciting. Especially when it means that a core function of the studio gets improved to make the result of the shoots even better. Last week we got an upgrade to our camera tracking system in which we went from the Stype RedSpy 2 to the Stype RedSpy 3. This upgrade meant a decrease in physical size of our tracker, and increase in accuracy and less latency.

      The decrease in size of the on-camera tracker module, almost two times as small as our previous model, means that mounting the tracker will be a lot easier. Especially in tight situations like a camera inside a flight-head, or when the camera has to go through small openings to make the shot. With this decrease in size came a welcoming increase in accuracy and tracking.

      The Stype RedSpy 2 mounted on top of a Panasonic BS1H

      The (new) Stype RedSpy 3. The ‘can’ is smaller than the RedSpy 2, but holds more powerful tracking capabilities.

      Where the old RedSpy had about 10-15 infrared leds, the new tracker has two times as much leds. This ensures our tracking points covering the ceiling are lit up properly and will be captured by the infrared camera inside the tracker. The field of view of the new Stype has also increased, meaning that more tracker points are visible to the system. Partially obscuring the camera isn’t such a big deal anymore. Where before operators had to be careful not to put a part of their body in-between the tracker and the ceiling, now this problem has almost vanished.

      Another welcoming change from the old to the new system was the introduction of an ethernet connection between the tracker and base station instead of a fiber optic cable. This change means that the whole tracking system doesn’t rely on a fragile fiber cable, but instead is connected with a robust and easily interchangeable ethernet cable.

      Showing the realtime tracking capabilities of Stype 3. The upward pointing infrared camera sends realtime position, rotation and lens data back to Unreal engine that processes it live to the back wall. Notice the inner camera frustum.

      With all of these quality of life improvements, also came some actual improvements in our calibration workflow and in the accuracy of tracking the volume during a shoot. Because this new tracking system had absolutely no offsets and was dead-accurate we could calibrate the position of our volume in the virtual world with submillimeter precision. With our virtual and real world perfectly aligned, we can say with absolute certainty that our whole tracking pipeline is submillimeter precise and ready for anything we throw at it.

      We had a blast discovering the new possibilities this system provides us and finding the limit of what is possible with current technologies. We are absolutely certain that every shot and/or camera can now be tracked with the accuracy we need to make a convincing connection between the physical and virtual worlds.

      We invite everyone to come by and try out this useful new technology with us!

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