Motion Analysis Releases Real-time Raptor Series
Motion Analysis rolled out its real-time passive optical motion-capture cameras, the Raptor Series, which can be used outdoors as well as indoors without requiring any hardware or software changes.
Motion Analysis has developed new, proprietary image-processing software, which is embedded in the Raptor cameras. The Raptor cameras have significant onboard computing power in order to accomplish all the required image-processing computations for the system. This new, exclusive software addresses the various challenges of working outdoors in direct sunlight as well as indoor environments where reflections and lighting conditions can also affect a capture—all the while maintaining extreme accuracy and real-time capabilities.
According to the company, its objective was to deliver a camera that performed in bright sunlight without compromising the accuracy and real-time, high data throughput of the cameras, and notes that no degradation of performance occurs when these cameras are used in an outdoor setting.
Although the obvious application will be in the sports market for performance assessment and injury prevention, Motion Analysis believes that the ability to use motion capture outdoors will be valuable for the animation and industrial markets, as well.
The Motion Analysis Raptor Series includes three different cameras: Raptor-4, Raptor-E, and Raptor-H.
Boxx Rendering Gets Personal
Boxx Technologies has introduced RenderPro, a personal, dedicated rendering module. RenderPro is compact, fitting easily on top of a workstation, yet features Intel Xeon processors to quickly render the most detailed images and animation created using Autodesk 3ds Max, Maya, Revit, and countless other professional software applications.
Until now, the only rendering choices available were the workstation, which requires endless hours of waiting, or a large, rackmounted renderfarm, which many artists, animators, architects, and engineers can’t accommodate. The Boxx solution makes rendering personal—no server room, no IT, and no budget approval—putting dedicated rendering at the user’s fingertips and rendering decisions in the hands of the artist.
The deskside RenderPro debuts in three models: RenderPro4, RenderPro8, and RenderPro12, with the model numbers indicating the number of Intel Xeon processing cores available in each. These solutions, which are expandable, save time, accelerate workflow, and increase productivity by freeing the workstation from rendering duties.
Pricing for RenderPro varies according to setup.
HP Gets More Colorful
HP debuted the ZR30w S-IPS LCD Display, its first 30-inch monitor, which will show a range of more than one billion colors. The display provides 30-bits-per-pixel color resolution and 1.07 billion displayable colors, compared to 16.7 million colors available on most like-size panels.
Geared to professionals in animation, game development, broadcast, design, and graphic arts, where accurate color is imperative, the HP ZR30w achieves more than 64 times the colors available on mainstream LCDs. The new HP ZR30w features 4.1 million pixels, to achieve maximum accuracy, and touts a resolution of 2560 x 1600 in a 16:10 aspect ratio and a 3000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, for brilliant visual performance.
Building on the HP ZR30w’s wide viewing angles, the monitor is equipped with DisplayPort and DVI-D inputs, an integrated four-port USB hub, and an HP Quick Release for simple setup; it touts a six-way adjustable stand that provides tilt, swivel, and height adaptability.
HP also introduced the Compaq S1922 and Compaq S2021 widescreen LCD monitors, designed for small and medium businesses. Available in 18.5- and 20-inch diagonal sizes, both displays feature a broad 16:9 aspect ratio, fast 5 msec response time, and 5000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. The S1922 features wide resolutions to 1366 x 768, while the S2021 offers resolutions to 1600 x 900.
The HP ZR30w is available now for a starting price of $1299. The Compaq S1922 and S2021 are also available at $125 and $140, respectively.