The QUMA (pronounced Cooma), from Japanese company SoftEther, works kind of like those 3D wooden mannequins that artists often pose when sketching the human body. Except that the QUMA connects to your PC over USB, and the majority of the puppets’ joints feature sensors that not only detect when they’ve been moved and adjusted, but also translate those movements to the character in your 3D software.

Japan-based SoftEther has developed a 3D motion-capture figure to create computer graphics and animations in 3D. Known as the QUMA, this human-like doll has a set of joints throughout its body, all of which are equipped with sensors and can be moved freely by the user. The QUMA motion capture puppet is ideal for designers and engineers to create 3D CG animation. Watch the video after the jump.