OptiTrack Delivers Sub-Millimeter Accuracy Optical Tracking for Mark Rober’s Viral Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Robot Goalie Challenge
OptiTrack Delivers Sub-Millimeter Accuracy Optical Tracking for Mark Rober’s Viral Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Robot Goalie Challenge
CORVALLIS, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OptiTrack, the global leader in precision motion capture technology, today announced that its flagship PrimeX 120 camera system powered the high-speed, high-G tracking behind Mark Rober’s newest engineering video, filmed in Portugal, where legendary soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo fired high speed penalty kicks at a robot goalie capable of accelerating at 10 Gs.
When asked why he chose OptiTrack for this experiment Mark Rober replied: "OptiTrack’s tracking is so accurate and so fast that it let us push this experiment way further than I thought was possible. It’s the only system that could keep up with Ronaldo’s
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A former NASA engineer, Mark Rober is one of the world’s leading YouTubers whose innovative and entertaining approach to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education is a global inspiration. Rober launched his YouTube channel in 2011 and has since grown his following to over 71 million subscribers and almost 14 billion views. Rober also founded CrunchLabs, the most exciting and impactful STEM brand in the world.
To track an 80 mph (120 km/h) ball launcher, full-speed professional strikes, and a robot moving fast enough to tear its own mechanical components apart, OptiTrack deployed a 20-camera volume of PrimeX 120 cameras running at 500 FPS, combined with passive retroreflective markers placed on the ball.
The capture volume was engineered around the penalty box, with the system configured to track anything entering the strike zone with sub-millimeter fidelity. OptiTrack’s on-site engineering team supported both the Portugal shoot and earlier development testing in California.
When asked why he chose OptiTrack for this experiment Mark Rober replied: "OptiTrack’s tracking is so accurate and so fast that it let us push this experiment way further than I thought was possible. It’s the only system that could keep up with Ronaldo’s shots.”
Unlike traditional sensor systems, OptiTrack’s optical motion capture allowed Rober’s team to calculate the ball’s predicted path in real time. Ball trajectory data was streamed directly from OptiTrack’s system, enabling the robot to anticipate where the ball would cross its line and move to that location with extreme speed.
“When Mark and his team approached us with this project, we knew our PrimeX camera system would deliver without hesitation. Tracking at 500 frames per second is comfortably within our normal operating range, and our technology is built for the kind of speed and precision this viral experiment required. We’re proud to support ambitious engineering projects like this with the reliability our customers depend on every day.” – Sidney Rittenberg Jr., CEO of OptiTrack
The video is now available on the Mark Rober YouTube channel, with approved behind-the-scenes footage and technical breakdowns to be showcased at OptiTrack.com and on OptiTrack’s social media channels.
About OptiTrack
OptiTrack is the global leader in precision 3D motion capture, providing the world’s most accurate and reliable tracking systems for robotics, virtual production, biomechanics, and research. With industry-leading cameras, real-time software, and fully integrated workflows, OptiTrack delivers sub-millimeter accuracy (as low as 50 microns) at extreme speeds and scale. From engineering labs to film sets to autonomous systems, organizations worldwide rely on OptiTrack as the motion-tracking backbone for their most demanding applications.
