Ocellus (Sony), camera tracking system, at NAB 2025

Sony will present during NAB 2025 (April 6-9, Las Vegas) its first camera tracking system: Ocellus (ASR-CT1), designed to simplify and facilitate augmented reality and virtual production applications in broadcast and cinema by eliminating markers.

The new system Ocellus, which consists of a sensor unit, a processing box and three target encoders, allows you to create a reference map which enables stable markerless tracking in both indoors and outdoors benefiting from their five image sensors and technology Visual SLAM from Sony. This system, compatible with Sony Cinema Line cameras and third-party solutions, sends the position and orientation data of the camera as it is recording, relying on a complete metadata system.

When using Sony cameras, metadata regarding image values focus, iris and zoom of the camera and lens They can be obtained through the camera's SDI output and transmitted in real time to external devices using an Ethernet cable. If the lens does not support acquisition of metadata through the camera, lens encoders can be placed on the camera to obtain this metadata. The acquired metadata, including tracking data, camera/lens metadata, timecode and file name, can be used for the workflow of post-production.

With easy installation and position adjustment using NATO rail mounting hardware, the system offers connection to the processing box via a single cable USB Type-C; transmission from the real-time processing device of tracking data and camera/lens metadata to CG rendering software such as Unreal Engine via Ethernet cable in free-d format; entrance Genlock; support for recording tracking data and metadata as files FBX on SDXC memory cards, and a screen OLED to check the IP address, tracking information and lens data.

Sebastian Leske, head of business development for the Cinema Line of Sony, highlights the new Ocellus, which will see the light in the last quarter of 2025: "The growing market for virtual production and AR demands simpler and more efficient workflows. Metadata such as camera position and lens values are crucial for pre- and post-production. Our new camera tracking system offers valuable data in real time, improving efficiency based on feedback from content creators around the world."