Active marker strobing and synchronization for performance capture communication

A data capture system for using active markers in a live action scene for performance capture associated with a virtual production, the system comprising:

• a signal controller to transmit signals to instruct one or more active markers to emit a predictable pattern of electromagnetic radiation in which a presence of the electromagnetic radiation is represented in one or more predefined capture frames and an absence of the electromagnetic radiation is represented in one or more predefined blank frames, wherein the pattern is detected within a single cycle of a picture camera;
• the one or more active markers to emit the electromagnetic radiation according to the pattern;
• the one or more sensor devices to generate one or more capture frames representing captured electromagnetic radiation and one or more blank frames representing absence of electromagnetic radiation, wherein a rate of capture of the one or more sensor devices is synchronized with a shutter action of a picture camera recording the live action scene, such that the rate of capture of the one or more sensor devices is faster than the shutter action of the picture camera;
• and
• a computing device that includes one or more processors to execute logic to perform operations comprising:
• generating data associated with the detected pattern of the electromagnetic radiation.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying program instructions thereon to use active markers in a live action scene for performance capture associated with a virtual production, the instructions when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

• defining a predictable pattern for one or more active markers to emit electromagnetic radiation in which a presence of the electromagnetic radiation is represented in one or more predefined capture frames and an absence of the electromagnetic radiation is represented in one or more predefined blank frames;
• receiving frames captured by one or more sensor devices that are synchronized with a shutter action of a picture camera recording the live action scene, such that a rate of capture of the one or more sensor devices is faster than the shutter action of the picture camera, wherein the frames include one or more capture frames representing captured electromagnetic radiation and one or more blank frames representing absence of electromagnetic radiation;
• detecting the pattern in the received frames within a single cycle of the picture camera;
• and
• generating data associated with the detected pattern of the electromagnetic radiation.