To experiment with data and movement I mostly use smartphones, there are a lot of sensors in them and if you use an app like zigsim you can send all the data to the computer using OSC data. 

For example I connected my smartphone to one arm and the smartphone of the performer to the other arm and than used the data in isadora.

Then after experimenting, you know what kind of data you would need and than you can look for that specific sensor.
For example if you find out acceleration is the most interesting one. you can use an acceleration sensor, connect it to an arduino and send that data to isadora. I'm currently using ESP32 boards and send OSC data over the network. Its not a lot of programming you just read the data from the sensor and send it over the network using OSC.

Thank you for sharing. It is a wonderful dance piece.

Best regards, 

Jean-François

Yes, yes... clearly, spatial tracking is also possible this way and skeletal tracking is not in my intentions anyway, I don't want to create an avatar of them or anything. 

You can track a performer very well across a stage with proper lighting and a good IR camera, that will give you lense support and a myriad of other features. Depth cameras are good for a limited number of things on a stage due to their restrictive performance and FOV. Machine vision or even security cameras will do most things you think you need. You dont get skeleton tracking but in reality doing that on stage is so restrictive you may not want to put your performers through it - taking away their autonomy to serve a naff machine.

Everything here is done without depth cameras -  as tracking as it gets:

just to be sure I had nothing to do with this work. 

https://www.interface-z.fr/index.php

I am afraid the website is only in French

or:

https://www.digikey.gr/en/products/result?s=N4IgTCBcDaIM4FMB2cD2AnEBdAvkA

or German only:

https://www.conrad.de/de/search.html?search=sensor&categoryId=c14741

Best

Jean-François 

pm me if you find yourself following this route - i can send you my case plans and the code. it should be ready this week or next.

Ok! Coding is the scariest indeed. The rest, I admit feel more feasible for me too. 

Wow... that's quite the challenge for me, I am a trained mechanical engineer but I don't think that I have the expertise and time to do it like that. Also my coding skills are limited to object oriented stuff. But cool! 

Yes, for positioning I am also considering a depth sensing camera, unfortunately not many designs out there with continued support, especially in Mac OS which is my preferred platform.