Motion tracking system and method

Motion tracking, also known as Motion capture is the process of recording a live motion event and translating it into usable mathematical terms by tracking a number of key points in space over time and combining them to obtain a single three-dimensional representation of the performance. In brief, it is the technology that enables the process of translating a live performance into a digital performance. The captured subject could be anything that exists in the real world and has motion; the key points are the areas that best represent the motion of the subject's different moving parts. These points should help resolve pivot points or connections between rigid parts of the subject. For a human, for example, some of the key points are the joints that act as pivot points and connections for the bones. The location of each of these points is identified by one or more sensors, markers, or potentiometers that are placed on the subject and that serve, in one way or another, as conduits of information to the main collection device. A method for tracking objects within a three-dimensional capture zone includes placing at least four sensors around the capture zone. A stationery reference tag is placed within the capture zone. Tags are coupled to objects to be tracked in the capture zone. Signals are periodically transmitted from the reference and object tags. These signals are received and the identification code, and code phase and carrier phase measurements are extracted. The code phrase and carrier phase measurements are processed to determine the position of each object tag with respect to the reference tag at each sampling instant.