Songa Mocap Library
To address the scarcity of culturally-specific and openly accessible motion capture (mocap) assets, the Songa Mocap Library emerges as a research project dedicated to the study of African gestures. This library prioritizes the capture and dissemination of movement data encompassing gestures, non-verbal communication cues, and other embodied elements integral to traditional oral storytelling practices.
This project seeks to establish a comprehensive and freely accessible collection of motion capture assets. These assets are re-enacted motion capture recordings based on oral storytellers' performances as well as other non-verbal expressions and gestures from life-observation as noticer and witness of day to day lived experience.
Visit the Songa Mocap Library to view and download African gesture mocaps.
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Songa | Motion Capture Data Samples
Melisa Achoko Allela
Oral storytelling transcends mere narration. The stories, often performed before a live audience, are animated by a myriad of verbal and non-verbal resources that not only serve a communicative role but also embellish the tale. While the oral storytelling traditions across Africa are as vast and varied as the distinct communities in each region, the use of expressive gestures holds particular significance.
This video offers snippets of the Songa motion capture dataset, showcasing culturally identifiable gestures used in everyday communication. Additionally, it presents gestures gleaned from observing performances of oral storytellers, performed via motion capture.
Motion capture retargeting using Rokoko Smartsuit and Smartgloves, Motion Builder and Blender.