Le Cerfav (European Center for Research and Training in Glass Arts) is a non-profit association in France dedicated to training the next generation of glass artisans. For nearly 30 years, Le Cerfav has taught techniques ranging from traditional glass blowing and stained glass to scientific glassware. Beyond education, Le Cerfav serves as a unique technological resource center, supporting research projects that blend artisanal skill with modern technology.
The Ghost Project began in 2018–2019 with a vision: to use XR and AI motion capture to better understand and preserve intangible cultural heritage in the form of artisanal gestures. Led by former glassblowers and craft experts, the project explores how high-fidelity motion capture can document complex hand movements in real workshop environments. Previous initiatives, like the Blaschka Renaissance project, paved the way for innovative research combining tradition with cutting-edge technology.
Accurate capture of delicate finger movements in real craft workshops is challenging. In 2019, Le Cerfav benchmarked several motion capture solutions, and only MANUS products met their standards for representation quality. Support from MANUS experts and French reseller Trinoma helped them integrate the technology effectively.
Le Cerfav combines MANUS Quantum Gloves with Xsens MVN Link for full hand and body tracking in workshop settings. Their tests always take place in real craft environments with expert artisans rather than actors, ensuring authenticity in the captured movements. Data is post-processed in Unity or Unreal Engine 5, and finger movements are visualized directly in MANUS Core.
The high-fidelity capture enables Le Cerfav to:
Le Cerfav is exploring further collaborations across industries where understanding human gestures is key—from design and training to cultural preservation. They envision extending the Ghost Project in partnership with MANUS, Xsens Movella, and Epic Games to create even richer XR experiences.
