VIRTUAL REALITY breaks new ground with STARTRACKER from inventor Mo-Sys – Express.co.uk

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The company makes versatile camera and lens control products for the film and broadcast industries, some of which were integral to the making of blockbuster Gravity and it saw revenues rise 70 per cent to 2.3 million last year as it exported to 40 countries.

Much of that rise was down to the success of StarTracker, its system now adopted by broadcasters internationally.

Based on camera tracking, which combines real and computer-generated images so they have same perspective in real time, StarTracker can be used in studios or attached to virtual reality (VR) headsets. Think TV presenters walking round voting maps on election night.

Users have unlimited freedom of movement with the power to interact with moving objects or navigate static obstacles like walls.

Take a VR beach scenario for instance, with StarTracker you can walk across the sand, check out the waves, then on a whim turn to the right and find a cocktail waiting for you on a caf table. The only downside is you cannot actually drink it, but thats VR for you, for the moment at least.

Mo-Syss smart know-how has however made huge strides, devising reflective 'star' stickers attached to the ceiling above, that monitor accurate position, rotation and lens data in real time.

Its scaleable technology that utterly disrupts says Mo-Sys founder and chief executive Michael Geissler.

StarTrackers development has been pioneered by former University College London post-graduate student and now Mo-Sys business partner Martin Parsley.

What began as a project between the company and UCL has evolved into ground-breaking technology that enables a robust and reliable way to walk around a virtual environment, explains Geissler.

Current VR technology is designed for single users in a confined space, mostly for gaming. The next generation is for multi-users unconfined and the applications are almost limitless, from commercial to consumer retail.

Defence simulation, enabling personnel on the ground gauge territory risks, has huge potential.

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But theme parks and training generally are also among the most obvious, and Geissler sees a role too for StarTracker in the medical sector.

This would involve preparing patients to help them deal with difficult tests, for example children having scans, being able to give them some idea of what happens can ease stress, he says or clinical teams planning a big operation, anyone coping with a complex physical layout.

Another sector is ship-building, what we do relates directly to submarines, one of the biggest challenges when considering confined space navigation.

Architects too could benefit from trialling landscapes and functions, he explains. We certainly see a role for our technology which brings to life the plans of construction companies and designers of hotels and leisure centres. It could help them avoid very expensive mistakes.

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Driveclub VR on the PlayStation VR demo disc

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Geisslers multi-disciplinary skills as a model-maker proved a perfect grounding to become an entrepreneur, providing an income while he explored camera tracking concepts back as early as 1997.

South London-based Mo-Sys then went on to develop robotic camera systems employed on movies like Slum Dog Millionaire and tracking solutions where there is no studio present.

For the Red Bull Air Race the camera accuracy was calculated to a 1/10000 of a degree but with no mechanical reference to go by, while on top of a swaying 150 foot boom lift, so not a bad result, he adds.

Although making in the UK was previously more expensive than the Far East and Europe, according to Geissler now it is the same, so our decision that it was better to make high value products at home was the right one.

Support has come from various innovation grants including the Royal Academy of Engineering Pathways to Growth scheme last year.

This was a game changer, says Geissler. Fast growth can be difficult. We now employ 25, taking on 11 more staff in the last three months. But Academy support included a mentor and has made growing more exciting and mind-opening not something scary.

For engineers the temptation is always to focus on the technology, but its taught us to nourish other aspects such as administration.

Were in a new, bigger unit, making StarTracker to order and with the Academys expertise we have halved lead times to just four weeks.

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Mo-Sys is also a member of the Academys new Enterprise Hub in its refurbished Taylor Centre at its headquarters in central London.

Designed to promote engineering entrepreneurship, the centre aims to make more of its international programmes and talent by linking innovators and opportunities.

Our business is virtual reality, yet when you are a small company you can sometimes feel a bit isolated, theres a need for human interaction, says Geissler. But with the Hub you can always be in contact with like minds.

http://www.mo-sys.com, facilities at the Taylor Centre can also be hired by engineering businesses and investors who are not Hub members. Enquiries should be directed to enterprisehub@raeng.org.uk or 0207 7660625. More information about the Taylor Centre can be found on the Enterprise Hubs website.

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VIRTUAL REALITY breaks new ground with STARTRACKER from inventor Mo-Sys - Express.co.uk