Naostage’s AI-Powered Tracking
It’s now been over a year since French tracking solutions company Naostage partnered with Adelaide’s Novatech Creative Event Technology to distribute their AI-powered technology in Australia. In one of the first few truly great uses of AI in our industry, Naostage’s K SYSTEM uses a combination of their cameras, processors, and software to provide automatic, beaconless tracking of performers, with AI locking on to the performer automatically as they enter the stage or performance area.
Novatech were an early adopter of this powerful system, investing in a top-of-the-line system.
The system generates PSN (Posi Stage Net) or OSC data from the performers location and this can be used for controlling not only lighting fixtures for followspot applications, but can also send control signals to immersive audio processors like d&b audiotechnik’s Soundscape or L-Acoustics’ L-ISA, and to video and other show control systems.
The K System consists of the KAPTA sensor bar, the KORE processor, and the Kratos software. The KAPTA uses multiple cameras, including visible, thermal, and NIR (near-infrared) to capture the stage area in any conditions (Total darkness or heavy smoke). The patented system uses the KORE processor, directed by the KRATOS software, to lock on to individual performers in a defined area determined by the user.
“We took K System out on a tour with Tones and I,” relates Leko Novakovic, Managing Director of Novatech. “We were doing arenas, including Rod Laver in Melbourne. We mounted one Kapta on the front truss, and it covered the entire 18-metre-wide stage. We initially only intend it to track Tones, but her operators asked if we could track her dancers as well. It ended up tracking Tones and multiple dancers, and didn’t break a sweat”
While K SYSTEM remains the top-of-the-range Naostage solution for total show control, the company have recently introduced a new system called YouTrack, which is a manual tracking system designed for the realities of live entertainment: easy to deploy, flexible to operate, and ready to evolve into full AI automation. YOU TRACK brings modern, reliable tracking to productions of any size.
YouTrack is composed of KAM is a robust and high-performance RGB camera, PoE and IP67, which guarantees consistent visual rendering even in very low light conditions and NUK a compact computer pre-configured with KRATOS that offers exceptional real-time performance.
With YOU TRACK, Naostage introduces a new approach: you can start with powerful manual tracking, then seamlessly transition into AI automation as your needs grow. It offers unmatched flexibility and long-term value.
Between the original Kore processor and the NUK sits the new “Kore S” which limits the AI to process 4 video streams (1 KAPTA or 4 KAMS) while the KORE process up to eight video streams simultaneously ( For example two KAPTA, eight KAMs or one KAPTA and 4 KAMs.
With interoperability and scalability, this expanded offering means anyone can build a system that fits their application and take advantage of an extendded compatibility with AV third party systems
“This extended flexibility allows smaller productions or venues to take advantage of Naostage’s technology and to scale as their needs grow” explains Leko. “It also allow AV pros to target integration or architectural markets with a cost effective and creative system”
With AI running the tracking, the system couldn’t be easier to use says Leko“Set up time and calibration takes between 20 and 30 min to an experimented operator”. Operations during rehearsals, or live shows are easy, the operator assign a performer in the target patcher and the system will follow them. You can then set it to fade in on entry, fade out on exit, and track them with any combination of lights. In our case, the Kore is outputting control data directly into our grandMA3 consoles but any Interactive AV scenario can be imagined (dynamically activate video backgrouds in relation to the performer, Dynamically adjusting the wet/dry setting of a reverberation depending on the position of an audio source…)
As amazing as the AI tracking is, sometimes you’re not just tracking people. Naostage also has tracking beacons for set pieces, or any other physical object that moves on your stage.
With a Naostage YouTrack system now around at a fraction of the price of a full K System, and a K SYSTEM composed of KAMs and a Kore S at half the price of a high end K SYSTEM competitive against all of the main competing tracking systems, it’s a great time to consider tracking for production companies, theatres, and other venues.
Novatech will have demonstration systems available for evaluation. “We think it’s going to be a huge seller,” concludes Leko.
