The applications of motion capture technology go beyond Andy Serkis hopping around as Gollum, whispering to his Precious. Korean roboticists are researching the ways in which motion capture could someday aid humans in controlling a mechanical (or dare we say, a mecha?) doppelganger.
This footage comes to us from Professor S.Y. Shin of the Korean Institute of Science and Technology. As you can see in the following videos, their robot Mahru is manipulated in real time by a man wearing a motion capture suit. The robot doesn't move particularly speedily, but it is able to pick up objects and also maintain a uniform pressure on delicate objects, such as balloons.
This technology could someday help humans guide robotic facsimiles through space or other inhospitable environments or be applied to the yet-to-be lucrative sport of robotic
boxing sword fighting.