Why I think this new AI motion-capture app has been worth the wait

After 12 weeks in beta since teasing us with the ability to create realistic mocap using just an iPhone, Move One from Move AI is now available to all. The AI app enables animators and creatives to capture human movement anywhere and turn it into project-ready animation, and I'm impressed.

AI within the creative industry gets a pretty bad rap, and often rightfully so, as our interview with Kelly McKernan revealed, but there are AI apps being developed that can help and not remove jobs (and don't prey on artists' copyrights). This is why Move One has caught my eye. This AI motion-capture app can create 3D animation with a single camera, and as someone who works in CG, it's not setting the same alarm bells as some AI apps.

Move One is one of these new AI apps that I can see a proper use for; a tool that can aid my work rather than take away from it. This app generates motion capture data for use with 3D characters. I love the idea of AI taking a complex process and making it simpler. Film and TV mocap has evolved over the years and it seems that this is just another evolution in the overall capture process. 

The Move One app's main features include use with iPhone 8 or above, offers 60 fps FHD markerless motion capture; it can be used in both landscape and portrait modes and you can export in industry-recognised formats such as FBX and USD.  

I'm old enough to remember when mocap was going to take animation jobs, but more than ever animators are needed to finesse raw mocap and we value artists more because of this need.

The first of this type of app that I got my hands on was the RADiCAL Live Motion Capture app and if I’m honest, I found it really helpful. I’ve never done any mocap before so this type of app made it possible for me to entertain the possibility. I was unlikely to invest in all the kit required to do a full on mocap shoot but if all I needed was an app then maybe this could open up a whole new world of possibilities for me and my work.

Which is why I'm excited for Move One, as it takes a familiar live motion capture approach, enabling me to create mocap from an iPhone anywhere and in any condition. The app also builds on Move One's knowledge in this area, including Move Single-Camera API, Move Multi-Cam, and its Invisible real-time markerless tech that you'll find supported by disguise. Unlike other AI apps, Move One feels like a continuation of an approach rather than something that's come from nowhere.

Maybe there’s a good kind of AI that we shouldn’t see as a threat but as an opportunity. I wonder if the new AI motion capture apps is one such example. But then again we’ll have to wait and see. If robots take over then we won’t even have the luxury of asking these types of questions.

Move One features tiered subscriptions, including a free trial, and is available to download from the App Store now. The Free Plan offers 30 free credits, and the Starter Plan is $30 per user per month. If you've yet to upgrade to a new iPhone 15, for example, now is a great time (but also remember it works on iPhone 8 and above). Check our Black Friday Apple deals hub for the latest offers.