WO2018121708A1

WO2018121708A1 - Wearable motion capture apparatus and virtual reality system

Info

Publication number: WO2018121708A1
Application number: PCT/CN2017/119672
Authority: WO
Inventors: Longwei LI; Sheng Yao; Qiaoyu SONG; Qiang Li; Yuanhui HE
Original assignee: Shanghai Noitom Motion Picture Technology Ltd; Beijing Noitom Technology Ltd.
Priority date: 2016-12-29
Filing date: 2017-12-29
Publication date: 2018-07-05
Also published as: CN206470692U

Abstract

A wearable motion capture apparatus includes a garment assembly, a mounting assembly, and functional components. The garment assembly is adaptively worn by a body of a wearer, and can provide a secure accommodation for each functional component via the mounting assembly. The mounting assembly is attached with the garment assembly, and is configured for securely mounting functional components to the garment assembly at mounting positions in contact with desired portions of the body. Each functional component, which includes an inertial sensor and optionally an active optical marker and is disposed between an inner layer and an outer layer of the garment assembly, is securely mounted to the garment assembly by means of the mounting assembly, and can collect or transmit a signal to thereby allow determination of a motion state of one corresponding portion of the body of the wearer.

Description

WEARABLE MOTION CAPTURE APPARATUS AND VIRTUAL REALITY SYSTEM

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation of, and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201621474701. X, filed on December 29, 2016, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of virtual reality technology, and in particular, to a wearable motion capture apparatus and a virtual reality system.

BACKGROUND

At present, a motion capture device that mixedly employs an optical sensor and an inertial sensor in a virtual reality system is mostly made of a material having a relatively high elasticity, and as such, is able to tightly attach onto a human body.

In the motion capture apparatus, the functional components for optical positioning and motion capture are commonly attached directly onto a clothing with a relatively large elasticity. Although the functional components can be attached onto the human body by means of the clothing, due to the relatively high elasticity of the clothing, when a user wearing the motion capture apparatus is performing an intense physical activity, the functional components will have a relatively large dislocation relative to the human body. Consequently, the accuracy of the motion data that have been captured by the motion capture apparatus may be negatively affected, influencing the using effect of the device.

SUMMARY

In view of the above technical problems existing in the prior art, the present disclosure provides a wearable motion capture apparatus and a virtual reality system.

In a first aspect, a wearable motion capture apparatus for securely attaching a plurality of function components onto a body of a wearer, or a subject wearing the wearable motion capture apparatus, is disclosed herein.

The wearable motion capture apparatus includes a garment assembly, a mounting assembly, and a plurality of functional components. The garment assembly is adaptively worn by the body of the wearer, and is configured to provide a secure accommodation for each of the plurality of functional components via the mounting assembly. The mounting assembly is attached with the garment assembly, and is configured to provide a means for securely mounting the plurality of functional components to the garment assembly at positions thereof in contact with, and corresponding to, desired portions of the body of the wearer.

Each of the plurality of functional components is securely mounted to the garment assembly by means of the mounting assembly at one of the positions of the garment assembly and is configured to collect or transmit a signal to thereby allow determination of a motion state of one of the desired portion of the body of the wearer corresponding to the one of the positions.

Throughout the disclosure, the motion state can include a status of a portion of the body, such as being still, being moving, being spinning, etc. Desired portions of the body are referred to as portions of the body whose motion states are to be determined, and in this disclosure, may include portions such as a head, a left scapula, a right scapula, an upper back spine, a central point at a back of the wearer between two hips, a left upper arm, a right upper arm, a left lower arm, a right lower arm, a left hand, a right hand, a left upper leg, a right upper leg, a left lower leg, a right lower leg, a left foot, and a right foot, a waist, an a neck of the wearer.

According to some embodiments, the garment assembly comprises at least one garment piece, and one or more of the at least one garment piece comprises an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer is configured to adaptively and securely attach onto the body of the wearer. The outer layer is disposed outside the inner layer. At least some of the plurality of functional components are disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer. The outer layer is configured to provide a restraint to the at least some of the plurality of functional components disposed thereinside.

Optionally in the wearable motion capture apparatus, the garment assembly can comprise an upper garment piece, a lower garment piece, a head cover, a pair of hand covers, and a pair of foot covers, adaptively worn onto an upper part, a lower part, a head, two hands, and two feet, respectively, of the body of the wearer.

In the wearable motion capture apparatus as described above, the outer layer can be configured to be openable and resealable to thereby allow mounting and dismounting of the at least some of the plurality of functional components. As such, the outer layer can be provided with at least one of a zipper, a snap button, or a Velcro tape, allowing the outer layer to be openable and resealable.

In the wearable motion capture apparatus as described above, all of the at least one garment piece in the garment assembly can be configured to have a color allowing for chroma keying. Optionally, the color of each garment piece in the garment assembly can be green or blue.

According to some embodiments of the wearable motion capture apparatus, the mounting assembly comprises at least one mounting piece, disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer and configured to securely mount the at least some of the plurality of functional components to the garment assembly.

Herein, the mounting assembly can include a first mounting piece, which comprises a harness adaptively worn on an upper portion of the body of the wearer. The first mounting piece can be attached onto the inner layer, and can be configured to securely mount the at least some of the plurality of functional components onto portions of the body of the wearer comprising a left scapula, a right scapula, and an upper back spine.

According to some embodiments, the harness comprises a main strap, a left shoulder strap, and a right shoulder strap. The main strap surrounds a chest and a back of the wearer and is configured to be elastically adjustable. The left shoulder strap strides across a left shoulder of the wearer, and is configured such that both ends thereof directly or indirectly connect to the main strap at first positions corresponding to the back and the chest of the wearer. The right shoulder strap strides across a right shoulder of the wearer, and is configured such that both ends thereof directly or indirectly connect to the main strap at second positions corresponding to the back and the chest of the wearer.

Herein, the harness can further include a connecting strap, configured such that the left shoulder strap and the right shoulder strap are connected to the main strap via the connecting strap at a position corresponding to a middle of the back of the wearer. The connecting strap is further configured such that the left shoulder strap and right shoulder strap are positioned to circumvent a left scapula and a right scapula of the wearer.

The mounting assembly can comprise a plurality of second mounting pieces. Each of the one or more second mounting pieces is attached onto the inner layer, is disposed at a position corresponding to one of four limbs or a trunk of the wearer, and is configured to provide a secure mounting accommodation for one of the at least some of the plurality of functional components.

Herein, each of the one or more second mounting pieces can comprise a housing and a tightening strap. The housing is configured to accommodate one of the at least some of the plurality of functional components, and the tightening strap is configured to securely bind the housing and the one of the at least some of the plurality of functional components onto the garment assembly at one of the positions corresponding to the four limbs or the trunk of the wearer.

According to some embodiments, the tightening strap is configured to wrap around one of the four limbs or the trunk of the wearer to securely bind the housing and the one of the at least some of the plurality of functional components onto the garment assembly.

In the wearable motion capture apparatus disclosed herein, each of the plurality of functional components can comprise at least one of an inertial sensor or an active optical marker.

According to some embodiments of the wearable motion capture apparatus, the plurality of functional components comprise at least seventeen inertial sensors mounted at positions of the garment assembly corresponding respectively to portions of the body of the wearer comprising a head, a left scapula, a right scapula, an upper back spine, a central point at a back of the wearer between two hips, a left upper arm, a right upper arm, a left lower arm, a right lower arm, a left hand, a right hand, a left upper leg, a right upper leg, a left lower leg, a right lower leg, a left foot, and a right foot.

Optionally, the plurality of functional components further comprise at least one inertial sensor, which is mounted in at least one position of the garment assembly corresponding to at least one of a waist and a neck of the wearer.

According to some embodiments of the wearable motion capture apparatus, the plurality of functional components comprise at least one active optical marker, each mounted at a substantial same position as one of the at least seventeen inertial sensors.

Herein, each of the at least one active optical marker can be mounted at a position of the garment assembly corresponding to a portion of the body of the wearer selected from a head, an upper back spine, a central point at the back between two hips, a left hand, a right hand, a left foot, or a right foot.

In embodiments of the wearable motion capture apparatus where the plurality of functional components comprise at least one active optical marker, each active optical marker can be configured to emit an infrared light. As such, the outer layer of the garment assembly can comprise a fabric transmissible to the infrared light.

In a second aspect, a virtual reality system is further provided. The virtual reality system includes a wearable motion capture apparatus according to any one of the embodiments as described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B respectively illustrate a front view and a rear view of an upper garment piece of a garment assembly in a wearable motion capture apparatus according to some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B respectively illustrate a front view and a rear view of a lower garment piece of a garment assembly in a wearable motion capture apparatus according to some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B respectively illustrate a cross-sectional view of a second mounting piece for a wearable motion capture apparatus according to some embodiments of the disclosure from two viewing angles that are perpendicular to each other;

FIG. 3C illustrates a second mounting piece around a trunk and a waistband around a waist in a wearable motion capture apparatus according to some embodiment of the disclosure, with a left panel and a right panel representing a rear view and a front view respectively;

FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, and FIG. 4C respectively illustrate three different arrangements of inertial sensors in a wearable motion capture apparatus according to three embodiments of the disclosure, with a left panel and a right panel in each figure representing a rear view and a front view respectively; and

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B respectively illustrate two different arrangements of active optical markers in a wearable motion capture apparatus according to two embodiments of the disclosure, with a left panel and a right panel in each figure representing a rear view and a front view respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following, with reference to the drawings of various embodiments disclosed herein, the technical solutions provided by the disclosure will be described in a clear and fully understandable way.

It is obvious that the described embodiments are merely a portion but not all of the embodiments of the disclosure. Based on the embodiments of the disclosure as described and illustrated herein, those ordinarily skilled in the art can obtain other embodiment (s) without taking efforts of a substantially novel nature, which shall be construed to come within the scope sought for protection by the disclosure.

In a first aspect, the disclosure provides a wearable motion capture apparatus for securely attaching a plurality of functional components onto a subject (i.e. wearer) . The wearable motion capture apparatus can be applied to, but is not limited to, a virtual reality system.

The wearable motion capture apparatus comprises a garment assembly, a mounting assembly, and a plurality of functional components.

The garment assembly is configured to be adaptively worn by the subject wearing the wearable motion capture apparatus, and is configured to provide a secure accommodation for each of the plurality of functional components via the mounting assembly.

The mounting assembly is disposed in or attached onto the garment assembly and is configured to provide a means for securely mounting the plurality of functional components to the garment assembly at mounting positions in contact with, and corresponding to, desired portions of a body of the subject.

Each of the plurality of functional components is mounted to the garment assembly by means of the mounting assembly at one of the positions thereof and is configured to collect or transmit a signal to thereby allow determination of at least one motion state of a desired portion of the body of the subject corresponding to the one of the positions.

Herein the subject (i.e. the wearer) can be a human subject, but can also be an animal (e.g. a dog, a cat, etc. ) , a moving object (e.g. a machine, a robot, etc. ) . In the following, the description of the disclosure is based primarily on the embodiments where the subject is a human subject.

The garment assembly comprises at least one garment piece. Depending on different designs or configurations, the at least one garment piece in the garment assembly can have different configurations.

According to some embodiments, the garment assembly comprises one single garment (i.e. the garment assembly takes a one-piece configuration) configured to be adaptively worn onto both an upper part (i.e. trunk and arms) and a lower part (i.e. the legs) of the body of the wearer. Thus the garment assembly is substantially a one-piece bodysuit.

According to some other embodiments, the garment assembly comprises an upper garment piece and a lower garment piece that are separated from one another (i.e. the garment assembly takes a separate configuration) . The upper garment piece and the lower garment piece will be described in detail in some specific embodiments in the following section, with illustrations in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B.

The upper garment piece is configured to be adaptively worn onto the upper part of the body of the wearer, and is substantially a jacket, a coat, or a suit to be put on the upper body of a subject. The lower garment piece is configured to be adaptively worn onto the lower part of the body of the wearer, and is substantially a pair of pants, trousers, or alike. Compared with the one-piece configuration as described above, the separate configuration brings relatively more convenience in putting on and off by the wearer.

Optionally, the garment assembly can further include a head cover, a pair of foot covers (i.e. substantially a pair of foot wears, socks, or shoes) , and/or a pair of hand covers (i.e. substantially a pair of gloves) , on which one or more functional components are mounted to thereby securely attach onto the head, the two hands, and/or the two feet of the wearer respectively by means of the mounting assembly. Herein, each of the head cover, the pair of foot covers, and the pair of hand covers can optionally form an integrated structure with, or optionally can form a separated structure from, other garment pieces in the garment assembly.

In the garment assembly, each of the at least one garment piece can have a two-layer configuration and includes an inner layer and an outer layer. The outer layer is disposed outside the outer layer (i.e. the outer layer is over a surface of the inner layer that is distal to the body of the subject (i.e. the wearer) . At least one of the plurality of functional components can be mounted between the inner layer and the outer layer in certain garment piece (s) in the garment assembly by means of the mounting assembly. The inner layer is configured to form a fitting and secure attachment onto the body of the wearer, and the outer layer is configured to provide a restraint to the functional component (s) disposed thereinside. The inner layer and the outer layer, and the functional components disposed therebetween, will be described in detail in some specific embodiments in the following section, with illustrations in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B.

It is noted that in addition to the above embodiments where all portions of the garment assembly have a two-layer configuration, according to some embodiments, only portions of the garment assembly where the plurality of functional components are mounted (i.e. portions of the garment assembly at each of the mounting positions) are provided with an inner layer and an outer layer, and other portions (i.e. portions of the garment assembly at non-mounting positions) can be provided with only one-layer of fabrics. Such a configuration can be lighter and more cost-effective compared with the embodiments where all portions of the garment assembly have a two-layer configuration.

Herein, the inner layer in the at least one garment piece in the garment assembly can be made of a knitted fabric of high elasticity and high density, and are sized to allow the inner layer to attach onto a skin of the human body. The outer layer can be made of knitted fabrics, woven fabrics, or the like, which can give the user a better experience of wearing. The fabrics used for the inner layer and the outer layer can be further selected to be relatively comfortable to the skin, have sufficient elasticity and extensibility along the directions of longitude and latitude, and remain wearable even after repeated wearing and washing.

In order to facilitate the mounting and the dismounting of each of the plurality of functional components, the outer layer can be configured to be openable and resealable.

As such, the outer layer of the garment assembly can be provided with a zipper at a functional component-mounting position of the garment assembly that is capable of convenient opening and closing. According to some embodiments, a first zipper can be arranged on an outer side of both sleeves of the upper garment piece (i.e. portions of the upper garment piece corresponding to the two arms of the wearer) , a second zipper can be configured on a back side of the upper garment piece, and a third zipper can be configured on an outer side of the legs of the lower garment piece.

It is noted that besides zippers, other means to allow the outer layer of the garment assembly to be openable and resealable for conveniently mounting and dismounting the plurality of functional components are possible. For example, a snap button or a Velcro tape can be employed to realize the opening and re-sealing of the outer layer of the garment piece in order for the convenient mounting and dismounting of the functional components onto the garment assembly of the wearable motion capture apparatus.

Each of the at least one garment piece of the garment assembly can be configured to be colored as green throughout the each of the at least one garment piece, so as to bring convenience for green screen-chroma keying (i.e. color keying, or color-separation overlay) during video production and post-production in the various industries including newscasting, motion picture, and videogame, etc.

In these embodiments of the wearable motion capture apparatus, the whole body of the subject needs to be covered in green. As such, a green head cover in the garment assembly can be configured to cover the face and eyes of the wearer. Specifically, portions of the head cover corresponding to the eyes of the wearer can have a transparent green composition having a low light-transmission rate. In addition, the pair of hand covers and the pair of foot covers of the garment assembly can be configured to fully cover the two hands (including the fingers) and the two feet of the wearer, respectively.

It is noted that in addition to the color of green, each of the at least one garment piece of the garment assembly can be configured to be colored as blue throughout the each of the at least one garment piece according to some other embodiments, which can bring convenience for blue screen-chroma keying during video production and post-production.

In the wearable motion capture apparatus, one or more of the plurality of functional components can each comprise an inertial sensor, i.e. an inertial measurement unit (IMU) , configured to collect a motion signal for a desired portion of the body of the subject corresponding to a position where the inertial sensor is mounted on the garment assembly.

The inertial sensor can comprise at least one of a gyroscope, a magnetometer, or an accelerometer. The gyroscope is configured to measure an angular velocity sub-signal of the motion signal; the magnetometer is configured to measure a geomagnetic direction sub-signal of the motion signal; and the accelerometer is configured to measure an acceleration sub-signal of the motion signal. Depending on the configuration of each functional component, the motion signal collected by each functional component can comprise at least one of the angular velocity sub-signal, the geomagnetic direction sub-signal, or the acceleration sub-signal.

In order to provide a secure accommodation and a protection to each inertial sensor, each inertial sensor can be mounted on the garment assembly by means of a first mounting base, which can be disposed onto an inner layer.

One or more of the plurality of functional components can optionally each comprise an active optical marker, configured to transmit an optical signal for the determination of a position and a motion state of a desired portion of the body of the subject corresponding to a position where the active optical marker is mounted on the garment assembly.

According to some embodiments, an active optical marker in a functional component comprises a LED lamp, which is configured to emit an infrared light (e.g. having a wavelength of 850 nm) encoding the optical signal, and the functional component comprising the active optical marker can be mounted between the inner layer and the outer layer of in certain portion of the garment assembly where the infrared light emitted by the active optical marker can transmit through the outer layer.

As such, the outer layer can be configured to have a fabric that is transmissible to the infrared light. In order to provide a secure accommodation and a protection to each LED lamp configured as an active optical marker, each LED lamp can be mounted on the garment assembly by means of a second mounting base, which can be disposed onto an inner layer.

According to some embodiments, one or more of the plurality of functional components can each comprise both an active optical marker and an inertial sensor, i.e., an active optical marker is mounted at a same position of the garment assembly as an inertial sensor. Such a composite or a mixed configuration for the functional component can take advantages of an optical tracking technology and an inertial sensor-based motion capture technology to allow for a more accurate calculation of the positions and motion statuses of the desired portion of the body of the wearer corresponding to a position where the composite/mixed functional component is mounted on the garment assembly.

In addition, each functional component can optionally comprise an ECG sensor, a body temperature sensor, a respiration sensor, an impedance plethysmography sensor, a heart rate sensor, etc., depending on the practical needs.

In order to better capture motions of the various portions of the body of a human subject, including a head, a trunk, four limbs, two hands, and the two feet, the plurality of functional components mounted onto the garment assembly of the wearable motion capture apparatus disclosed herein can have specific arrangements (i.e. in terms of total number and mounting positions for the plurality of functional components) on the garment assembly, depending on specific needs.

Specifically, the wearable motion capture apparatus disclosed herein can comprise at least 17 inertial sensors throughout the garment assembly, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C.

FIG. 4A illustrates a first embodiment of the wearable motion capture apparatus having a basic configuration, where the wearable motion capture apparatus comprises a total of 17 inertial sensors. The 17 inertial sensors (illustrated as squire blocks 30a) are arranged at 17 different mounting positions on the garment assembly, corresponding respectively to portions of the body including a head (more specifically a back of the head) , a left scapula and a right scapula, an upper back spine, a central point at the back between two hips, a left upper arm and a right upper arm, a left lower arm and a right lower arm, a left hand and a right hand (specifically, a back of each hand) , a left upper leg (i.e. left thigh) and a right upper leg (i.e. right thigh) , a left lower leg (i.e. left shin) and a right lower leg (i.e. right thigh) , a left foot and a right foot.

In addition to the 17 inertial sensors 30a in the above first embodiment of wearable motion capture apparatus having a basic configuration, the wearable motion capture apparatus can further include an inertial sensor 30a disposed at a mounting position of the garment assembly corresponding to a waist (i.e. the middle back spine) , and/or an inertial sensor 30a disposed at a mounting position of the garment assembly corresponding to a neck (more specifically, neck back spine) .

For example, in a second embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the wearable motion capture apparatus further comprises an inertial sensor 30a disposed at a mounting position of the garment assembly corresponding to a waist (more specifically, a middle back spine) in addition to the 17 mounting positions in the first embodiment as shown in FIG. 4A. In a third embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 4C, the wearable motion capture apparatus further comprises two inertial sensors 30a disposed at two mounting positions of the garment assembly corresponding respectively to the waist (more specifically, the middle back spine) and the neck (more specifically, the neck back spine) in addition to the 17 mounting positions in the first embodiment as shown in FIG. 4A.

It is noted that these above three embodiments serve only illustrating purposes and there can be other embodiments where the number of, and the mounting positions for, the inertial sensors can be different. According to some embodiments, the inertial sensors 30a arranged at the back of the wearer (such as those mounted at mounting positions corresponding to the back of the wearer, including an upper back spine, a middle back spine, and a central point at the back between two hips, as shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C) can instead be arranged at the front of the wearer and at positions opposing to the respective positions at the back of the wearer (not shown) in order to meet certain practical needs such as a situation where the human subject wearing the wearable motion capture apparatus needs to lie on his/her back.

Specifically, the wearable motion capture apparatus disclosed herein can comprise at least one active optical marker, arranged at different mounting positions on the garment assembly. Each of the at least one active optical marker can be disposed at one of a total of 7 mounting positions on the garment assembly, corresponding respectively to portions of the body including a head (more specifically a back of the head) , an upper back spine, a central point at the back between two hips, a left hand and a right hand (specifically, a back of each hand) , a left foot and a right foot.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B respectively illustrate two different embodiments of the wearable motion capture apparatus for the arrangement of active optical markers (illustrated as triangle blocks 30b) . According to a fourth embodiment of the wearable motion capture apparatus as shown in FIG. 5A, an active optical marker 30b is mounted at each of the above 7 mounting positions. According to a fifth embodiment of the wearable motion capture apparatus as shown in FIG. 5B, unlike the fourth embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 5A where an active optical marker 30b is mounted at a position corresponding to the back of the body (more specifically at a position corresponding to the upper back spine of the body) , an active optical marker 30b is mounted at a position corresponding to the chest of the body (i.e. at a position opposing to the upper back spine of the body) , and all other six mounting positions for mounting the active optical markers 30b remain the same as the fourth embodiment. It is noted that the choice of a mounting position corresponding to the chest (as shown in FIG. 5B) instead of a mounting position corresponding to the back (as shown in FIG. 5A) can help meet the practical needs, such as a situation where the subject wearing the wearable motion capture apparatus needs to lie on his/her back.

In addition to these above two embodiments, other combinations of the 7 mounting positions are also possible. Depending on the practical needs, several commonly chosen combinations of the aforementioned 7 mounting positions (i.e. a left hand and a right hand; a left foot and a right foot; a central point at the back between two hips; a head; and an upper back spine) for mounting active optical markers are listed in Table 1. It is noted these combinations described herein shall be regarded as illustrating examples only, and do not impose any limitations to the scope of the disclosure.

Table 1.

It is noted that according to some preferred embodiments, the active optical markers 30b as illustrated in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B and the inertial sensors 30a as illustrated in FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B and FIG. 4C are configured such that any one active optical marker 30b is arranged at a same mounting position as an inertial sensor 30a.

It is further noted that in order to bring convenience and flexibility in the mounting of functional components (including inertial sensors and active optical markers) , the garment assembly can be provided with a plurality of mounting positions comprising any of the mounting position corresponding to each of the portions of body as described above. According to some embodiments, the garment assembly of the wearable motion capture apparatus is provided with a total of 20 mounting positions, corresponding to the 19 mounting positions as illustrated in FIG. 4C and one additional mounting position corresponding to the chest of the body of the wearer. The set of the mounting positions chosen for the mounting of functional components can depend on different practical needs, and can be customized flexibly. Furthermore, the plurality of mounting positions can be configured to have features/components such as an inner layer and an outer layer, a zipper, a mounting base, etc.

In order to provide a power source to each of the plurality of functional components, the wearable motion capture apparatus further comprises a power supply assembly. According to some embodiments, each functional component can be configured to have an independent power source (e.g. a battery) , and can thus work independently. As such, the power supply assembly includes a battery for each of the plurality of functional components.

According to some other embodiments, each functional component is electrically coupled by a first wiring to a common power source, which can be arranged, for example, at a position of the garment assembly corresponding to a waist of the wearer. In order to simplify the wirings, the at least one function component can be connected in parallel to the common power source. As such, the power supply assembly can include a power source and a plurality of first wirings. Herein, the plurality of first wirings in the power supply assembly can be connected to one another by a USB TYPE-C connection. Other types of connections are possible.

In order to accommodate the communication needs to each of the plurality of functional components, the wearable motion capture apparatus further comprises a communication assembly. According to some embodiments, each functional component can be coupled to an independent wireless transmission circuit, and can transmit data wireless and independently. As such, the communication assembly includes a wireless transmission circuit for each of the plurality of functional components.

According to some other embodiments, each functional component is coupled by a second wiring to a processing circuit, configured to collect data from each of the plurality of functional components in the wearable motion capture apparatus. The processing circuit can further transmit the collected data to a wireless transmission circuit for wirelessly transmitting the collected data to a remote server, or can further store the collected data to a storage connected to the processing circuit, which can be later transferred to a remote server.

The remoter server comprises a central processor that can perform calculations over the collected data to thereby determine the motion status for each portions of the body of the wearer. Herein the communication assembly comprises a processing circuit, a plurality of second wirings, and one of a wireless transmission circuit or a storage. The processing circuit and the one of the wireless transmission circuit or the storage can be arranged, for example, at a position of the garment assembly corresponding to a waist of the wearer. The plurality of second wirings in the communication assembly can be connected to one another by a USB TYPE-C connection. Other types of connections are possible.

The mounting assembly can include at least one mounting piece. Each of the at least one mounting piece can be specifically designed depending on the position where a corresponding functional component is mounted, and can thereby be configured to allow the corresponding functional component to be mounted securely onto a corresponding portion of the body of the wearer.

According to some embodiments, the at least one mounting piece in the mounting assembly includes a first mounting piece, adaptively worn on the upper portion of the body of the wearer, configured to provide mounting accommodations for mounting one or more functional components on certain positions of the garment assembly for the detection of motion status of the trunk of the wearer. Herein the first mounting piece is substantially a chest harness.

According to one specific embodiment, the first mounting piece (i.e. the chest harness) includes a main strap, a left shoulder strap, and a right shoulder strap. The main strap surrounds the chest and back of the wearer, and is configured to be elastically adjustable. The left shoulder strap strides across the left shoulder of the wearer, having both ends thereof connected to the main strap at positions corresponding to the back and the chest. The right shoulder strap strides across the right shoulder of the wearer, having both ends thereof connected to the main strap at positions corresponding to the back and the chest.

Two functional components can be respectively mounted onto the left shoulder strap and the right shoulder strap to thereby allow the detection of motion signals for each of the two shoulders of the wearer. It is noted that the first mounting piece is not limited to the above configuration, and can also have other configurations.

According to some embodiments, the at least one mounting piece in the mounting assembly includes one or more second mounting pieces, each adaptively worn on one limb (i.e. arm or leg) or the trunk of the wearer and configured to provide a mounting accommodation for one functional component for the detection of motion status of a corresponding portion of the limbs or the trunk of the wearer.

According to some embodiments, each of the one or more second mounting pieces comprises a housing and a tightening strap. The housing is configured to accommodate one or more functional components. The tightening strap is configured to securely bind the housing to a corresponding portion of the limb/trunk of the wearer. The housing can be provided with a wearing hole at a bottom thereof. One end of the tightening strap can be attached to the inner layer by means of adhesion or stitching, and the other end of the tightening strap can pass through the wearing hole to securely bind the housing onto a corresponding portion of the limb/trunk, and then to attach with itself or with the inner layer through a Velcro adhesive patch. It is noted that there are other configurations according to other embodiments.

In the following, with reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, and 3C, a wearable motion capture apparatus configured to be worn by a human wearer according to some embodiments of the disclosure is described.

As shown in the figures, the wearable motion capture apparatus comprises a garment assembly, which comprises an upper garment piece 100 and a lower garment piece 200 that are separated from one another and thus substantially takes a separate configuration. The garment assembly further comprises a head cover 300, a pair of foot covers 201 and optionally, a pair of hand covers (not shown) , which are respectively attached to the upper garment piece 100 and the lower garment piece 200.

The wearable motion capture apparatus further comprises a plurality of functional components 30 and a mounting assembly. The plurality of functional components 30 are disposed at various positions of the garment assembly such that each of the plurality of functional components 30 can be securely coupled with a portion of the body of the wearer corresponding to each position of the garment assembly. The mounting assembly comprises a plurality of mounting pieces, each securely attached onto the garment assembly to thereby mediate the secure mounting of each of the plurality of functional components onto the body of the wearer.

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B respectively illustrate a front view and a rear view of an upper garment piece of the garment assembly in the wearable motion capture apparatus. FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B respectively illustrate a front view and a rear view of a lower garment piece of the garment assembly in the wearable motion capture apparatus.

Each of the upper garment piece 100 and the lower garment piece 200 in the garment assembly comprises an inner layer 101 and an outer layer 102 (illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B) . The inner layer 101 is configured to attach onto the body of the wearer. The outer layer 102 is disposed outside the inner layer 101.

The plurality of mounting pieces are each disposed between the inner layer 101 and the outer layer 102 (as illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B) , and are configured to securely mount each of the functional components 30. Specifically, when a user (i.e. the wearer) is putting on the wearable motion capture apparatus, each of the mounting pieces allow each of the functional components 30 to attach onto the human body thereby.

As such, when the wearer is wearing the wearable motion capture apparatus disclosed herein, each of the functional components 30 mounted thereon does not have too much dislocation with the human body even if the wearer performs big movements. Thereby, if any of the functional components 30 mounted onto the body of the wearer comprises an inertial sensor, the motion data captured by the inertial sensor is more accurate. If any of the functional components 30 mounted onto the body of the wearer comprises an active optical marker, the optical signals emitted from the active optical marker can provide accurate position information.

In the wearable motion capture apparatus as described herein, the inner layer 101 can be made of a knitted fabric of high elasticity and high density, and can be sized to allow the inner layer 101 to attach onto a skin of the human body. The outer layer 102 can be made of knitted fabrics, woven fabrics, or the like, which can give the user a better experience of wearing.

The fabrics can be further selected to be relatively comfortable to the skin, have sufficient elasticity and extensibility along the directions of longitude and latitude, and remain wearable even after repeated wearing and washing. The fabrics can be further configured to fit an optical working environment by having a transmittance to an infrared light, to thereby allowing an infrared light emitted from an active optical marker included in a functional component 30 to penetrate therethrough.

It is noted that in addition to the above embodiment of the wearable motion capture apparatus where each garment piece of the garment assembly (such as the upper garment piece 100 and the lower garment piece 200) comprises an inner layer 101 and an outer layer 102 throughout the each garment piece, it is possible that only the mounting portions of each garment piece (i.e. where each mounting piece carrying a functional component are disposed) are provided with an inner layer 101 and an outer layer 102 and each functional component can be disposed between the inner layer 101 and the outer layer 102, other portions of each garment piece can be provided with only one layer. This configuration may be more cost-effective.

It is further noted that in order to allow a reliable fitting of the wearable motion capture apparatus worn on the wearer, each of the garment pieces in the garment assembly can optionally be provide with an adjustable tightening portion, such as an adjustable belt with a buckle or an adjustable Velcro strap, which is configured to allow an adjustable tightening for the garment piece to be fittingly and securely worn by the wearer to ensure a secure mounting of the functional components onto the body of the wearer.

As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the mounting assembly includes a first mounting piece 10 disposed between the inner layer 101 and the outer layer 102 of the upper garment piece 100. The first mounting piece 10 substantially comprises a harness, and each of the plurality of functional components 30 can be mounted onto specified positions on the harness of the first mounting piece 10.

Because the upper part of the body is provided with the harness, and the harness can be tightly attached onto the inner layer 101 which is further attached onto the body tightly, the functional components 30 mounted onto the harness can thereby be tightly and securely attached onto the body. As such, any movements (e.g. twisting, or stretching) of the upper part of the body do not cause a significant displacement of the functional components 30 relative to the upper body of the body. Therefore, the motion data transmitted by the functional components can be relatively more accurate.

As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the harness includes a main strap 11, a left shoulder strap 121, and a right shoulder strap 122. The main strap 11 is configured to surround the chest and back of the human body and is configured to be elastically adjustable. The left shoulder strap 121 strides across the left shoulder of the human body, having both ends thereof connected to the main strap 11 at positions corresponding to the back and the chest of the human body. The right shoulder strap 122 strides across the right shoulder of the human body, having both ends thereof connected to the main strap 11 at positions corresponding to the back and the chest of the human body.

One or more functional component can be respectively arranged at certain positions of the main strap 11 corresponding to the middle back of the human body, at certain positions of the left shoulder strap 121 corresponding to the left shoulder of the human body, and at certain positions of the right shoulder strap 122 corresponding to the right shoulder of the human body. Thereby, the left and right sides of the harness are symmetrical and form a triangular stable structure. As such, the pulling force from each of the left side and the right side on the functional components 30 disposed at positions corresponding to the back and shoulders of the human body are maintained as substantially identical, thereby ensuring a lateral stability of the functional components 30.

Preferably, the left shoulder strap 121 and the right shoulder strap 122 are connected to the main strap 11 via a common connecting strap 13 at a position thereof corresponding to the middle of the back of the human body. The connecting strap 13 is further configured such that the left shoulder strap 121 and right shoulder strap 122 are positioned to avoid or circumvent the scapulae of the human body, which can effectively reduce errors of data captured by the functional components 30 that are caused by the movement of the scapulae of the human body. The main strap 11 can be further configured to have two opposite ends which can be connected by buckles to facilitate the putting-on and putting-off of the harness. Additionally, the main strap 11 can be arranged above the chest to thereby improve the wearing experience.

As such, if the functional components 30 mounted on the main strap 11, the left shoulder strap 121 and the right shoulder strap 122 of the harness each comprise an inertial sensor for the motion capture, the inertial sensors can be used to capture the motion data of the back, the left should and the right shoulder of the human body.

In the wearable motion capture apparatus, the mounting assembly can further include one or more second mounting pieces, which can be disposed at positions corresponding to the four limbs (i.e. two arms and two legs, as shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B) or the trunk (as illustrated in FIG. 3C) of the human body for the mounting of the functional components 30 at these mounting positions of the upper garment piece 100 and the lower garment piece 200, as illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B.

Further as shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, at each mounting position, each of the one or more second mounting pieces 40 is specifically disposed between an inner layer 101 and an outer layer 102 of the upper garment piece 100 or the lower garment piece 200. Each second mounting piece 40 includes a housing 42 and a tightening strap 41. The housing 42 is configured to accommodate, and to provide a protection to, the functional component 30 disposed therein. The tightening strap 41 is configured to bind or to restrain the housing 42 securely onto each limb of the human body at a corresponding mounting position of a garment piece. As such, due to the tightening effect of the tightening strap 41, the housing 42 and the functional component 30 disposed therein do not have a displacement relative to the limbs of the human body even during big movements of the human limbs, and thereby the motion data obtained from the functional component 30 can have a better accuracy.

It is noted that in the above embodiment of the wearable motion capture apparatus, the tightening strap 41 in each second mounting piece 40 is configured to surround or to wrap around each limb at each mounting position for the functional component 30 to thereby provide a secure binding or attachment of the housing 42, along with the functional component 30 disposed therein, onto the human body, as illustrated in FIG. 3B. Other embodiments are also possible. For example, the tightening strap 41 may be partially around each limb or the trunk, and may comprise a strap having one end fixed onto a garment piece at one side of the housing 42, and having another end that can run over the housing 42 and forming a secure coupling with the garment piece at another side of the housing 42. The secure coupling can be a slot-plug connection, a belt-buckle connection, Velcro taping, or kinesio-taping, etc. There are no limitations herein.

If the functional components 30 comprise inertial sensors for motion capture, the inertial sensors may be mounted at a plurality of mounting positions on the four limbs of the human body through a second mounting piece 40, so as to correspondingly obtain the motion data of the four limbs. For example, by means of one second mounting piece 40, each of the inertial sensors can be arranged at a mounting position of the garment assembly corresponding to one of two lower legs, two upper legs, two upper arms, and two lower arms of the human body so as to correspondingly obtain the motion data of these portions of the body.

Further as shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, in order to securely position or attach each second mounting piece 40, the bottom of the housing 42 is provided with a wearing hole 421. One end of the tightening strap 41 is attached to the inner layer 101 by means of adhesion or stitching, and the other end of the tightening strap 41 can pass through the wearing hole 421 to bind the housing 42 onto a corresponding body part, and then to attach with itself or with the inner layer 101 through a Velcro tape.

As such, the tightening strap 41 of the second mounting piece 40 is configured to have one end that is fixedly attached with the inner layer 101 and another end that is open, so that the functional components 30 can be mounted onto human bodies of different body types. The tightening strap 41 can be configured to have adjusted elasticity so that no relative displacement occurs for the functional components 30 that are disposed onto human bodies of different body types. Thereby the motion data collected by the functional components 30 can be relatively more accurate.

The wearable motion capture apparatus can further include a pair of foot covers 201, as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B. Each of the pair of foot covers 201 can be integrated with, or comprise an independent garment piece separated from, a lower end of each of the two legs of the lower garment piece 200 according to different embodiments. Each foot cover 201 can be configured to fully or partially cover the foot.

According to some embodiments, each foot cover 201 includes an outer layer 101 and an inner layer 102. One or more functional components 30 can be disposed between the outer layer 101 and the inner layer 102 of each foot cover 201, and thereby can be mounted onto one foot of the human body. A second mounting piece 40 as described above can be utilized for mounting each functional component 30 onto the foot cover 201.

According to some other embodiments, each foot cover 201 may merely serve as a wrap of a foot. As such, each functional component 30 can be disposed outside the foot cover 201, and can be mounted onto a foot of the human body through a mounting strap (not shown in drawings) , which extends from a lower end of the leg of the lower garment piece 200, and can be used for mounting the functional component 30 thereonto, for example, by directly attaching onto the foot.

Other embodiments are also possible for mounting functional components 30 onto a foot cover 201 of the garment assembly in the wearable motion capture apparatus, and the descriptions thereof are skipped herein.

By securely mounting functional components 30 onto each of the pair of foot covers 201 in the wearable motion capture apparatus, a motion status of each foot of the wearer can be accurately determined.

The wearable motion capture apparatus can further include a pair of hand covers (not shown in the drawings) . Similar to the pair of foot covers 201, each hand cover can be integrated with, or comprise an independent garment piece separated from, a lower end of each of the two arms of the upper garment piece 100. Each hand cover can be configured to fully or partially cover a hand of the wearer.

According to some embodiments, each hand cover includes an outer layer 101 and an inner layer 102. One or more functional components 30 can be disposed between the outer layer 101 and the inner layer 102 of each hand cover, and can be mounted onto the foot of the human body. Each functional component 30 can be mounted through a second mounting piece 40 as described above.

According to some other embodiments, each hand cover may merely serve as a wrap of a hand, in a manner similar to the pair of foot covers 201 as described above. As such, each functional component 30 can be disposed outside each hand cover, and can be mounted onto a hand of the human body through a mounting strap (not shown) , which extends from a lower end of the arm of the upper garment piece 100, and can be used for mounting a functional component 30 thereonto, for example, by directly attaching onto the hand. Other embodiments are also possible for mounting the functional component 30 onto a hand cover of the garment assembly in the wearable motion capture apparatus, and the descriptions thereof are skipped herein.

By securely mounting functional components 30 onto each of the pair of hand covers in the wearable motion capture apparatus, a motion status of each hand of the wearer can be accurately determined.

The wearable motion capture apparatus can further include a head cover 300 that is connected with the upper garment piece 100, as illustrated in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. Optionally, the head cover 300 can be integrated with the upper garment piece 100. The head cover 300 can include an inner layer 101 and an outer layer 102, and one or more functional component 30 can be disposed between the inner layer 101 and the outer layer 102 of the head cover 300. The one or more functional components 30 comprise one functional component 30 mounted on the head cover 300 at a position corresponding to the center back of the human’s head, which can allow the capture of motion data of the head of the wearer.

In order to ensure that the functional components 30 disposed at the mounting position of the head cover 300 corresponding to the center back of the human head can obtain the motion data of the head more accurately, the head cover 300 is configured to be securely fit onto the head (e.g. by a three-dimensional trimming and tailoring) , and as such, the head cover 300 is provided with an opening. Each of the two sides of the opening of the lower part of the head cover 300 can be respectively provided with an adjustable fastening button, an adjustable Velcro tape, etc.

Thereby, the head cover 300 can be tightly and adjustably attached onto the head of the user, so that the functional component 30 can be better attached onto the head of the human body to thereby allow a better capture of the motion data of the head.

Herein mounting of each of the one or more functional components 30 onto the head cover 300 can be though a second mounting piece 40 as described above. According to some other embodiments, the head cover 300 may serve as a wrap of the head of the user, in a manner similar to each of the pair of foot covers 201 and each of the pair of hand covers as described above. Similarly, a mounting strap (not shown) can extend from an upper part of the upper garment piece 100, and can be used for mounting the functional component 30 onto the head of the user.

By securely mounting functional components 30 onto the head cover 300 in the wearable motion capture apparatus, a motion status of the head of the wearer can be accurately determined.

As shown in FIG. 2B and FIG. 3C, the wearable motion capture apparatus further includes a waistband (i.e. a girdle, a belt, or alike) 400 surrounding the waist and the hips of the body of the user wearing the wearable motion capture apparatus. The waistband 400 is configured to provide a tightening means for securely fitting the garment assembly (e.g. the upper garment piece 100 and the lower garment piece 200) onto the body of the wearer. The waistband 400 can optionally be a separate garment piece in the garment assembly, or can optionally be a lower portion of the upper garment piece 100 or an upper portion of the lower garment piece 200.

The waistband 400 can be configured such that each of the two ends of the waistband 400 is provided with a Velcro strap, so that the elasticity of waistband 400 can be adjusted. By adjusting the elasticity, the tightness of the waistband 400 can be adjusted to thereby allow it being applied to different body types of a wearer. In addition, by adjusting the elasticity, the displacement/dislocation of the functional components 30 mounted onto the waistband 400 due to the movement of the wearer can be reduced. In addition to the Velcro strap, other adjustable tightening means, such as a belt-buckle connection, are also possible.

The waistband 400 can be configured to comprise at least one mounting portion for mounting one or more functional components 30 (i.e. inertial sensors or active optical markers) or other functional parts (e.g. a power source, or a communication circuit, etc. ) . Optionally, each of the at least one mounting portion may comprise a structure disposed outside the waistband 400 that is configured for mounting a functional component 30. Optionally, each of the at least one mounting portion may comprise an accommodating cavity that is arranged inside the waistband 400, and is configured for accommodating a functional component 30. Optionally, the mounting portion may also comprise a cloth bag (e.g. a cloth bag) disposed on the waistband 400 that can be opened or closed.

In one specific example, the at least one mounting portion in the waistband 400 comprise two cloth bags, and one or more functional components 30 can be optionally disposed therein. As such, the expansibility of the wearable motion capture apparatus by allowing the addition of functional components 30 can be increased.

According to some embodiments, the at least one mounting portion in the waistband 400 can include one mounting portion for a power source (e.g. a battery, or a power bank) . The power source is wiredly connected, and is thus configured to provide power, to each of the plurality of functional components 30 in the wearable motion capture apparatus. As such the wearable motion capture apparatus may include a plurality of first wirings for the wiredly connection between the power source and each of the plurality of functional components 30.

Optionally, the plurality of first wirings are configured such that the plurality of functional components 30 are respectively electrically coupled to the power source in parallel. The plurality of first wirings and the power source thus substantially forms a power supply assembly in the wearable motion capture apparatus.

According to some embodiments, the at least one mounting portion in the waistband 400 can include one mounting portion for a communication sub-assembly. The communication sub-assembly includes a processing circuit and at least one of a wireless transmission circuit or a storage device. The processing circuit is configured, by means of one of a plurality of second wirings, to collect data from each of the plurality of functional components in the wearable motion capture apparatus.

According to some embodiments, the processing circuit is configured to transmit the collected data to the wireless transmission circuit for wirelessly transmitting the collected data to a remote server. According to some other embodiments, the processing circuit is configured to send the collected data to the storage device for storage of the collected data, which can be later transferred to a separate computer. As such, the communication sub-assembly mounted onto the waistband 400, which include a processing circuit and at least one of a wireless transmission circuit or a storage device, and the plurality of second wirings, substantially form a communication assembly in the wearable motion capture apparatus.

The wearable motion capture apparatus disclosed herein further includes at least one connector, each disposed on one of the plurality of functional components, which is configured to realize a wired connection among the plurality of functional components 30. Herein the wired connection can preferably a TYPE-C connection. The connector can be provided with a charging interface, which can be directly or indirectly connected with the power source to thereby power the functional components 30 when needed. The plurality of first wirings and the plurality of second wirings in the wearable motion capture apparatus can be customized and arranged depending on different needs, which can meet functional requirements and can also bring comfortability by employing soft wirings. The wirings having TYPE-C connections have advantages such as fast data transmission and high reliability.

In the above embodiments of the wearable motion capture apparatus as illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B, some of the plurality of functional components 30 may include an active optical marker that is specifically for optical positioning. The active optical marker can be disposed on a head (more specifically a back of the head) , an upper back spine, a central point at the back between two hips, a left hand and a right hand (specifically, a back of each hand) , a left foot and a right foot of the body, as specifically illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B. In the wearable motion capture apparatus, the active optical marker can be disposed outside a garment piece to allow the optical signals emitted from the active optical marker to be transmitted without interference.

According to some embodiments, each active optical marker can include a LED lamp configured to emit an infrared light encoding the optical signals, and an outer layer of a garment piece of the garment assembly can be made of an infrared light-transmissive fabric. As such, the functional component 30 comprising the active optical marker (i.e. the LED lamp) can be disposed between an inner layer and the outer layer of the garment piece of the garment assembly. The infrared light emitted by the LED lamp can transmit through the outer layer 102 of the garment piece to transmit the optical signals to thereby lead to the realization of optical positioning.

In order to facilitate the mounting and the dismounting of each of the plurality of functional components 30 at each mounting positions of the garment assembly, the outer layer 102 of the garment assembly is configured to be openable and resealable. According to some embodiments, the outer layer 102 is provided with at least one zipper. In one specific example, a first zipper is arranged on an outer side of each arm of the upper garment piece 100, a second zipper is arranged on a back side of the upper garment piece 100, and a third zipper is arranged on an outer side of each leg of the lower garment piece 200.

In a second aspect, the present disclosure further discloses a virtual reality system.

The virtual reality system includes the above-described wearable motion capture apparatus. In the wearable motion capture apparatus included in the virtual reality system, the functional components 30 can include both an inertial sensor for motion capture and an optical module for optical positioning. Since each functional component 30 in the wearable motion capture apparatus in the virtual reality system as disclosed herein does not generate a large displacement relative to the human body, the motion data obtained by the inertial sensor can be relatively more accurate, and thereby more accurate data can be provided to the virtual reality system.

Herein, the wearable motion capture apparatus and the virtual reality system containing the wearable motion capture apparatus have the following advantages.

First, the wearable motion capture apparatus is flexible and can take a separate configuration for several or all of the garment pieces in the garment assembly. For example, the garment assembly can comprise an upper garment piece 100 and a lower garment piece 200 that are separate from each other and configured to work separately and independently, which can bring convenience for a user to put on and off the wearable motion capture apparatus.

Second, by configuring the outer layer 102 of each garment piece of the garment assembly to be openable and resealable, the functional components 30 can be conveniently mounted onto, and dismounted from, the garment assembly of the wearable motion capture apparatus.

Third, by means of the mounting assembly, which can include specially designed first mounting piece 10 and each of the one or more second mounting pieces 40, each functional component 30 can be fittingly and securely attached onto the garment assembly, thereby the motion data collected by each functional component 30 can be more accurate and reliable. Additionally, the first mounting piece 10 and the one or more second mounting pieces 40 together allow capture of motion data from each desired portion of the body of the wearer, in turn realizing a whole-body motion capture.

Fourth, the wearable motion capture apparatus allows the addition and customization of functional components 30 by arranging additional mounting pieces or modifying existing mounting pieces in the mounting assembly. For example, a functional component 30 can be attached onto both legs and arms of a user by means of an additional second mounting piece 40, a functional component can be attached onto the back and the shoulders of the wearer by modifying the first mounting piece 10.

Fifth, the wearable motion capture apparatus adopts specially designed clothing or fabrics which employs special materials for splicing, thus the needs for fitting different body shapes of a user can be met.

Additionally, this wearable motion capture apparatus can be made in accordance with the ergonomic design, has an elegant and aesthetic appearance, and is convenient for deployment.

All references cited in the present disclosure are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Although specific embodiments have been described above in detail, the description is merely for purposes of illustration. It should be appreciated, therefore, that many aspects described above are not intended as required or essential elements unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Various modifications of, and equivalent acts corresponding to, the disclosed aspects of the exemplary embodiments, in addition to those described above, can be made by a person of ordinary skill in the art, having the benefit of the present disclosure, without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure defined in the following claims, the scope of which is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass such modifications and equivalent structures.

Claims

A wearable motion capture apparatus, comprising a garment assembly, a mounting assembly, and a plurality of functional components, wherein:

the garment assembly is adaptively worn by a body of a wearer, and is configured to provide a secure accommodation for each of the plurality of functional components via the mounting assembly;

the mounting assembly is attached with the garment assembly, and is configured to provide a means for securely mounting the plurality of functional components to the garment assembly at positions thereof in contact with, and corresponding to, desired portions of the body of the wearer; and

each of the plurality of functional components is securely mounted to the garment assembly by means of the mounting assembly at one of the positions of the garment assembly and is configured to collect or transmit a signal to thereby allow determination of a motion state of one of the desired portions of the body of the wearer corresponding to the one of the positions.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the garment assembly comprises at least one garment piece, wherein one or more of the at least one garment piece comprises an inner layer and an outer layer, wherein:

the inner layer is configured to adaptively and securely attach onto the body of the wearer;

the outer layer is disposed outside the inner layer;

at least some of the plurality of functional components are disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer; and

the outer layer is configured to provide a restraint to the at least some of the plurality of functional components disposed thereinside.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 2, wherein the garment assembly comprises an upper garment piece, a lower garment piece, a head cover, a pair of hand covers, and a pair of foot covers, adaptively worn onto an upper part, a lower part, a head, two hands, and two feet, respectively, of the body of the wearer.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 2, wherein the outer layer is configured to be openable and resealable to thereby allow mounting and dismounting of the at least some of the plurality of functional components.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 4, wherein the outer layer is provided with at least one of a zipper, a snap button, or a Velcro tape, allowing the outer layer to be openable and resealable.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 2, wherein all of the at least one garment piece in the garment assembly are configured to have a color allowing for chroma keying.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 2, wherein the mounting assembly comprises at least one mounting piece, disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer and configured to securely mount the at least some of the plurality of functional components to the garment assembly.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 7, wherein the mounting assembly comprises a first mounting piece, wherein:

the first mounting piece comprises a harness adaptively worn on an upper portion of the body of the wearer;

the first mounting piece is attached onto the inner layer; and

the first mounting piece is configured to securely mount the at least some of the plurality of functional components onto portions of the body of the wearer comprising a left scapula, a right scapula, and an upper back spine.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 8, wherein the harness comprises a main strap, a left shoulder strap, and a right shoulder strap, wherein:

the main strap surrounds a chest and a back of the wearer and is configured to be elastically adjustable;

the left shoulder strap strides across a left shoulder of the wearer, and is configured such that both ends thereof directly or indirectly connect to the main strap at first positions corresponding to the back and the chest of the wearer; and

the right shoulder strap strides across a right shoulder of the wearer, and is configured such that both ends thereof directly or indirectly connect to the main strap at second positions corresponding to the back and the chest of the wearer.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the harness further comprises a connecting strap, wherein:

the left shoulder strap and the right shoulder strap are connected to the main strap via the connecting strap at a position corresponding to a middle of the back of the wearer; and

the connecting strap is configured such that the left shoulder strap and right shoulder strap are positioned to circumvent a left scapula and a right scapula of the wearer.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 7, wherein the mounting assembly comprises a plurality of second mounting pieces, wherein:

each of the one or more second mounting pieces is attached onto the inner layer; and

each of the one or more second mounting pieces is disposed at a position corresponding to one of four limbs or a trunk of the wearer, and is configured to provide a secure mounting accommodation for one of the at least some of the plurality of functional components.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 11, wherein each of the one or more second mounting pieces comprises a housing and a tightening strap, wherein:

the housing is configured to accommodate one of the at least some of the plurality of functional components; and

the tightening strap is configured to securely bind the housing and the one of the at least some of the plurality of functional components onto the garment assembly at one of the positions corresponding to the four limbs or the trunk of the wearer.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 12, wherein the tightening strap is configured to wrap around one of the four limbs or the trunk of the wearer to securely bind the housing and the one of the at least some of the plurality of functional components onto the garment assembly.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of functional components comprises at least one of an inertial sensor or an active optical marker.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 14, wherein the plurality of functional components comprise at least seventeen inertial sensors mounted at positions of the garment assembly corresponding respectively to portions of the body of the wearer comprising a head, a left scapula, a right scapula, an upper back spine, a central point at a back of the wearer between two hips, a left upper arm, a right upper arm, a left lower arm, a right lower arm, a left hand, a right hand, a left upper leg, a right upper leg, a left lower leg, a right lower leg, a left foot, and a right foot.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 15, wherein the plurality of functional components further comprise at least one inertial sensor mounted in at least one position of the garment assembly corresponding to at least one of a waist and a neck of the wearer.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 14, wherein the plurality of functional components comprise at least one active optical marker, each mounted at a substantial same position as one of the at least seventeen inertial sensors.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 17, wherein each of the at least one active optical marker is mounted at a position of the garment assembly corresponding to a portion of the body of the wearer selected from a head, an upper back spine, a central point at the back between two hips, a left hand, a right hand, a left foot, or a right foot.
The wearable motion capture apparatus of Claim 14, wherein the plurality of functional components comprise at least one active optical marker, each configured to emit an infrared light, wherein:

the outer layer of the garment assembly comprises a fabric transmissible to the infrared light.
A virtual reality system, comprising a wearable motion capture apparatus according to any one of Claims 1-19.