Motion capture specialist Vicon has expanded its offerings through the acquisition of Captive Devices Ltd, a Manchester-based developer of head-mounted camera technology for facial performance capture without markers. The deal, which became effective immediately, brings the founding team from Captive Devices into the Vicon organization, which operates as the motion capture division of Oxford Metrics.
The acquisition addresses a longstanding industry challenge by combining facial and body capture capabilities under a single vendor. Several major studios including Ninja Theory, Nant Studios, Animatrik, and Deep Silver Dambuster Studios have already adopted Captive Devices’ technology for visual effects, gaming, and virtual production work. The CoreHMC system developed by Captive Devices integrates directly with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, enabling real-time performance review and adjustment on set for studios already using that platform.
Company leaders emphasized the complementary nature of the partnership. Vicon’s four-decade foundation in marker-based optical motion capture remains intact, with Captive Devices’ markerless facial technology serving as a supplementary layer rather than a replacement. This unified approach streamlines workflows by eliminating the need for separate vendors, support teams, and technical pipelines that studios traditionally navigated for comprehensive performance capture.
Captive Devices co-founder Fred Isaac highlighted how the partnership expands market access, noting that Vicon’s global distribution network and established relationships with major entertainment companies position the technology for broader adoption across the industry.
Originally reported by Variety →
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