The camera tracking system OCELLUS 'ASR-CT1' will be exhibited at the NAB Show 2025 in Las Vegas.
Sony Electronics is set to transform virtual production and augmented reality in broadcast and cinema with the launch of its first camera tracking system, OCELLUS (ASR-CT1). Designed to simplify and enhance workflows, OCELLUS provides marker-free camera tracking using multiple sensors, making it compatible with both cinema and broadcast cameras.
Theresa Alesso, President of Imaging Products and Solutions Americas, Sony Electronics, said: “The growing market for virtual production and AR demands simpler, more efficient workflows. Metadata like camera position and lens values are crucial for pre- and post-production. Our new camera tracking system delivers valuable, real-time data, enhancing efficiency based on insights from content creators worldwide.”
OCELLUS is suitable for virtual production applications, including In-Camera VFX and AR, as it transmits real-time camera position and orientation data while filming. The system includes a sensor unit, a processing box, and three lens encoders, and it is compatible with Sony Cinema Line cameras, system cameras, and third-party cameras. Utilising five image sensors and Sony’s Visual SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) technology, OCELLUS generates a reference map, enabling stable, marker-free tracking in both indoor and outdoor settings.
When paired with Sony cameras, OCELLUS captures and transmits essential metadata such as focus, iris, and zoom values in real-time via the camera’s SDI output. If a lens does not support metadata acquisition through the camera, lens encoders can be attached to retrieve this information. This metadata is crucial for seamless virtual production and AR applications. Additionally, OCELLUS supports the recording of tracking data, camera and lens metadata, timecode and file names, optimising the post-production workflow.
Sony continues to support creators in the virtual production and AR space with a comprehensive range of tools, from acquisition solutions to display screens like the Crystal LED VERONA and software-based offerings such as the Virtual Production Toolset.
The OCELLUS system consists of several key components. The compact and lightweight sensor unit, featuring five image sensors, ensures stable marker-free tracking and high resistance to occlusion. It is equipped with infrared LEDs for improved performance in low-light environments and a Visible Light Cut Unit to maintain stability amid changing lighting conditions. The sensor unit measures approximately 86 mm × 60 mm × 43 mm and weighs about 250 grams, with easy installation enabled through NATO rail mounting parts.
The processing box plays a vital role in real-time transmission, sending tracking data and camera/lens metadata to CG rendering software like Unreal Engine via Ethernet in free-d format. It includes Genlock input, Timecode input, SDI input/output terminals and lens encoder connection ports. The processing box also supports recording tracking data and camera metadata as FBX files on SDXC memory cards synchronised with the main camera’s video files. An OLED display provides quick access to IP addresses, tracking details, and lens data.
The lens encoders detect precise rotation angles and positions of lens focus, zoom and iris values, transmitting this data to the processing box through a LEMO 7-pin cable. These encoders enable metadata acquisition for lenses and cameras that do not support lens data embedding via SDI output and come with five different types of gears to accommodate various lenses.
Sony will officially exhibit the OCELLUS (ASR-CT1) camera tracking system at the NAB Show 2025 in Las Vegas, starting April 6 at the Sony booth. The system is expected to be available in Australia from October 2025 or later, with a retail price of $62,000 AUD.
