Ask for a tested play area, not a generic distance
A body-tracking installation needs space for the sensor to observe the required movement and for guests to enter, participate and leave. Start with the application's actions: a small hand movement, leaning, reaching or stepping across an area create different requirements. Describe the largest intended movement and who is expected to perform it.
The usable area depends on the specific sensor, operating mode, tracking software, computer and application. Ask the body-tracking team to mark a proposed area on the floor plan and explain how it will be tested. Do not reserve a booth from a camera's maximum range alone.
Draw four areas on the same plan
| Area | What to mark | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor and screen | Proposed camera, display and computer positions | Can the camera observe the required movement from this location? |
| Active movement | Starting point and the intended movement envelope | Which positions and actions must the application recognise? |
| Waiting and spectators | Queue, host and viewing positions | Can observers remain outside the active experience? |
| Entry, exit and service | Guest route and technical access | Can the next player join and staff reach equipment without crossing active play? |
Have the venue and production team review this layout. The movement area is not a substitute for the wider event plan or agreed access arrangements. Keep bags, furniture and promotional stock out of the area accepted for play.
Read specifications in their proper context
Orbbec's Femto Bolt documentation lists different depth modes with different fields of view and operating ranges. The specification illustrates these tradeoffs. Those are camera measurements, not a promise that a particular game will track full bodies anywhere within the stated range.
The depth-camera documentation also describes invalid readings caused by factors such as unsuitable signal strength and reflected light paths. See the manufacturer's explanation. This is a reason to test the actual scene, including its surfaces and lighting, rather than assume that a successful office demonstration transfers unchanged.
Worked example: a movement-controlled game
Imagine a hypothetical game where one visitor leans sideways and raises both hands. The initial stand plan puts the sensor above the display, a product counter in front and the queue beside the player. The client later asks for two people to compete simultaneously.
First, test the single-player actions at the proposed start position and at the edges of the movement area. Check different representative participant heights and the full raised-hand position. Keep the counter in its intended place. If it blocks a required view, the team must change the layout or game interaction and test again.
Then test the two-player requirement as a separate configuration. Include both people moving, changing places, entering and leaving. Agree how the software identifies active players and what happens when someone disappears from tracking. A single-person demonstration does not approve the multiplayer brief.
Recreate the conditions that can change
Tell the team about daylight, exhibition lighting, screens and reflective scenery. Arrange testing at the relevant event conditions where possible; if some conditions cannot be reproduced, record the remaining check and who owns it. Do not select a generic “indoor” or “outdoor” label in place of checking the chosen equipment.
Ask for visible application behaviour when tracking is lost: pause, guidance to return to position, host assistance or another agreed response. Also test a person walking past the camera and a guest leaving before the session ends. The experience needs to recover clearly for the next participant.
Acceptance checklist for the organiser
Confirm sensor model, software and computer are the tested configuration.
Mark the accepted starting position and active movement area.
Test required movements and participant numbers with the actual scenery.
Check instructions, tracking loss, early exit and reset.
Confirm the queue, host position and technical access.
Record conditions requiring another test if the layout or lighting changes.
Common mistakes are reserving only the player's standing spot, adding a second player after approval and decorating in front of a calibrated camera. Share the final stand plan and game actions with the camera and tracking supplier. Request a demonstration of the entire guest cycle, not only the successful gesture.