Cardiff Academic wins prestigious award for paper on motion capture technology
16 October 2025
Dr Yipeng Qin has been recognised for his work on AI-powered motion capture sensors.
The paper, titled Transformer IMU Calibrator: Dynamic On-Body IMU Calibration for Inertial Motion Capture, won the Best Paper Award at SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques) 2025.
It introduces a novel AI-powered method that revolutionises how wearable sensors recalibrate during motion.
Traditionally, motion capture systems required users to pause and perform rigid calibration poses to maintain accuracy. This new approach eliminates that need, allowing sensors to self-correct continuously as the user moves.
Motion capture is no longer just for Hollywood studios or high-end labs. With our new method, sensors worn on the body can automatically adjust themselves in real time, removing the need for clunky calibration poses or constant resets.
The innovation promises significant improvements in long-term reliability and usability across applications in gaming, sports, rehabilitation, and virtual reality.
Dr Yipeng Qin said: “Imagine putting on a few lightweight sensors and immediately being able to track your movement with accuracy that holds up for hours — whether you're playing a VR game, training for sports, or recovering from an injury. This research turns motion capture into a seamless, everyday tool, opening doors for richer digital experiences and more effective rehabilitation.
“By breaking the fundamental but restrictive absolute static assumption in inertial sensor calibration, we've taken a key step toward making motion capture both effortless and reliable in the real world.”
The research was a collaborative effort between Cardiff University, Xiamen University, and Tsinghua University, with partial funding from the Royal Society.
This is research that doesn't just advance knowledge, but has real potential to improve lives - a clear example of how Cardiff University is co-creating futures.
Dr Kathryn Jones, Head of the School of Computer Science and Informatics, said: "This SIGGRAPH Best Paper Award represents transformative research that exemplifies our 'Our future, together' strategy in action.
"Through genuine collaboration with our strategic partners at Xiamen University and Tsinghua University, Yipeng and the team have solved a decades-old challenge in motion capture technology, making it accessible for everyday applications from healthcare to gaming."
The SIGGRAPH Best Paper Award, established in 2022 by ACM SIGGRAPH, is one of the highest honors in computer graphics and interactive techniques, celebrating papers that demonstrate originality, technical depth, and potential impact on the field.