Notch

Exclusive to MCC from Bayle Emlein

The Notch 3D motion tracking system provides real-time feedback of physical motion at a price real people can afford. At the same time, the speed and detail of motion feedback are consistent with the needs of high-end graphic artists and athletes. The level of detail is also useful for physical therapists and sports coaches. The sensors are completely waterproof, making the system the first wearable on the market that can be used by swimmers for monitoring performance without cumbersome camera set-ups.

The system uses a set of at least 2 sensors, which are attached to the body with straps. Two sensors will visualize a single joint, use up to 18 for full-body imaging. The sensors weigh less than 1/3 oz each and the straps are less obtrusive than many we’re used to for attaching wearables. An app (of course) sends the data to a smartphone for display on an idealized mannequin.

Why would anyone want to do this, rather than just watch a movie of someone moving? Because the Notch system isolates the trajectory of movement, without all the distracting details. This is the tool animators need to capture the essence of a gesture in order to create life-like renderings. Coaches and physical therapists can show a client’s motion clearly, providing corrective feedback in real time, and compare it to their definition of ideal as imaged via the SDK. Notch supports the visualizations, but does not itself get into the area of describing what might be more or less desirable in terms of body mechanics. They leave that to the experts in each field to develop, and perhaps share.

Rather than trying to copyright a portion of the English language, Notch has located itself at https://wearnotch.com. A 6-sensor kit is priced at $419, including the SDK (if you don’t know what that means, you don’t need to know) for developers to create situation-specific implementations. This is where a coach or physical therapist would define and show the most efficient movement, allowing the client to compare and correct.

A demo video is available at the Notch site, so you can see the quality of rendering. On January 6, 2017, Ars Technica designated Notch to be the best wearable of CES. If you’re a casual couch potato who watches content, rather than creating it, at this point you probably know all you need to know. If you’re serious about improving the naturalness of your animations or analyzing sports performance for yourself and/or others: Notch.