Democratizing Motion Capture for Everyone: Easy Access to AR, VR, and XR

Byeoli Choi, CEO of MOVIN

Co-founded by four KAIST Ph.D. candidates

Launched MOVIN TRACIN, a real-time AI motion capture solution

Captures precise skeletal data without markers or wearable sensors

Formed a partnership with a global content platform

Lower hardware costs to increase accessibility and open new markets

Enables at-home practice for activities like baseball and golf

Further product enhancement planned, including 3D motion data sales

Aiming to develop a foundation model for motion AI

Holds world-leading technology — unmatched by other companies or researchers

Recognized for its innovation, MOVIN joined Naver’s 1784 tech campus

Secured seed investment from Naver D2SF and a follow-up pre-Series A round

With MOVIN devices, Chzzk streamers can own 3D virtual characters

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Since OpenAI introduced ChatGPT in November 2022, generative AI—which began with text-based interactions—has advanced to handle images and videos. This remarkable progress is fueled by data. While advancements in AI infrastructure such as NVIDIA’s GPUs have played a vital role, it’s clear that we wouldn’t have come this far without high-quality data to train AI.

As AI models continue to develop, discussions are intensifying around how AI should be consumed across industries and in daily life. Amid this momentum, Korean startup MOVIN is looking ahead to the next generation of AI.

MOVIN believes that the next frontier is 3D AI. Just as AI evolved from 1D (text) to 2D (images and videos) in a few short years, the research community has been developing AI using 3D motion data for the past five to six years. 3D AI refers to technologies that operate within or utilize data from three-dimensional space.

This technology spans a broad range—from models by OpenAI and Google that generate realistic videos from text, to virtual streamers who are gaining popularity in the content industry. MOVIN’s business falls into the latter category.

On Par with Meta in Technology

MOVIN was founded in 2023 by four Ph.D. candidates from KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). These founders are seasoned experts with experience at companies like Meta, Naver Z, and SOSLAB, and have conducted years of research in this field.

MOVIN’s flagship product, MOVIN TRACIN, is a real-time, markerless motion capture solution powered by AI. Utilizing an integrated LiDAR sensor, it accurately captures spatial information without distortion and recognizes human motion in real time—without the need for complex post-processing. It captures precise skeletal and joint data, all without markers or body-worn sensors.

The key strength of MOVIN TRACIN lies in its ability to generate high-quality motion data from a single device. Traditionally, game studios have built expensive, camera-packed studios to perform motion capture, requiring large spaces and rigid scheduling.

MOVIN TRACIN removes these constraints by integrating both hardware and software into the single device, and transmits live motion data directly to a connected computer. With a single onboard LiDAR sensor, it achieves a 93% motion recognition rate—at a fraction of the cost of traditional studios.

According to CEO and co-founder Byeoli Choi, “MOVIN TRACIN is a compact device that can be mounted on a tripod. It has a built-in GPU running an AI model and works without relying on external servers, making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.”

Choi added, “MOVIN TRACIN launched in the U.S. in August last year, and domestic deliveries began in November. About 20 units have been sold in Korea, with around 50 units currently in pre-order overseas.”

Bringing Motion Capture to the Masses

This summer, MOVIN plans to kick off global operations by partnering with a major content platform and launching a promotional campaign, aiming to expand its presence in the growing virtual content market.

“While the virtual content market may seem small in terms of user numbers, it's the most active in terms of actual purchases,” said Choi. “We are continuously collaborating with relevant players to grow our presence.”

MOVIN’s goal is to democratize motion capture technology. By lowering the price of its devices, the company aims to make them accessible to everyday users, not just businesses—opening up new markets.

They envision a world where virtual streamers can affordably set up their broadcasts, and individuals can use the device at home for activities like baseball or golf training. MOVIN has already supplied its product to a screen golf solution company, which now uses it to analyze swing poses in real time.

“Traditional motion capture equipment costs hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Choi noted. “Our product is one-tenth the cost. We aim to reduce the price even further, to be on par with Meta Quest or Apple Vision Pro, and create an easy-to-install, consumer-friendly interface for home use.”

From VR to AI

MOVIN is set to enhance MOVIN TRACIN even further this year. The goal is to make the product more accessible to general users interested in AR, VR, and XR content—through improved functionality and lower prices. Additionally, MOVIN plans to expand into data licensing by late this year or early next year, offering high-quality 3D motion data to sectors like robotics and gaming.

Ultimately, MOVIN aspires to develop a foundation model in the motion AI domain. Choi emphasized, “Although we’ve mostly talked about the product, MOVIN is fundamentally a 3D motion AI startup. Our tech rivals that of Meta, and when it comes to LiDAR-based 3D data applications for AI, we are at the cutting edge globally.” She added, “We continuously publish research papers, and to date, no company or researcher has introduced newer technology than ours.”

Strategic Synergy with Naver

MOVIN’s competitiveness on the global stage owes much to support from its backer, Naver.

In July 2023, during its pre-incorporation phase, MOVIN participated in a startup competition hosted by Naver’s technology incubator and was selected based on its technical potential. The company then joined Naver’s 1784 building and received seed investment from Naver’s CVC, D2SF, in December.

Still based in the Naver building, MOVIN has since secured a pre-Series A investment. Naver D2SF continues to invest in startups that can deliver tech and business synergies with Naver’s strategic ventures. One such venture is Chzzk, Naver’s game streaming platform, with which MOVIN has strong ties.

“To activate the market, we need more streamers. But the biggest challenge is ‘how to do virtual streaming,’” said Choi. “Creating characters is easy, but equipment costs are high. MOVIN provides a cost-effective alternative for virtual streamers and supports Chzzk’s growth in many ways.”

Chzzk currently supports a program that helps virtual streamers debut with 3D avatars, but it's only usable in its own studio, Motion Stage. MOVIN’s device would enable any Chzzk streamer to own and operate their own 3D avatar—an essential feature as Chzzk pushes deeper into the virtual content space. This synergy between MOVIN and Chzzk is expected to be mutually beneficial.

Lastly, CEO Byeoli Choi was recently named to Forbes Asia’s “30 Under 30” list in the AI category.