How Motion Capture is Bringing 400-Year-Old Literature to Apple Vision Pro

CoSTAR Live Lab recently worked with Viridian FX to support their latest project: adapting Cervantes' Don Quixote as a mixed-reality experience for Apple Vision Pro. The project uses motion capture technology to explore new approaches to spatial storytelling, bringing classic literature into immersive digital formats.

"Working with Live Lab on the motion-capture elements of our forthcoming Don Quixote adaptation for Apple Vision Pro proved to be wonderfully productive, and fun too!" said Kit Monkman, Director at Viridian FX. "The team at Live Lab are efficient, knowledgeable, and extremely capable, meaning that we were able to work at the accelerated pace that our timescales required. Despite the pressure, their team were consistently upbeat, positive, and engaged. It was an absolute pleasure to work with them."

Based in York, Viridian FX is a visual effects studio specialising in high-end VFX for film, television, and screen-based media. Their R&D division, Viridian Lab, is developing an adaptation of Cervantes' Don Quixote designed specifically for Apple Vision Pro. The project blends immersive technology with one of literature's most enduring stories, creating an experience that explores the boundary between reality and illusion, while bringing audiences closer to Quixote's dream-world than traditional media allows.

The collaboration involved capturing the movement of six performers while incorporating various props. The technical setup consisted of 24 Vicon Vero v2.2 optical tracking cameras in our Future Venues space, with a capture volume of approximately 6x7 metres, recorded using Vicon's Shōgun Live software.

This project demonstrates how academic and industry partnerships can combine technical expertise with creative ambition, showing the potential for immersive storytelling through advanced motion capture technology.

If you have an idea for an innovative project that could benefit from our specialist motion capture facilities and technical expertise, we'd love to hear from you. Contact CoSTAR Live Lab to explore how we can help bring your creative vision to life.