• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, December 20, 2012

As part of its recently launched Digitas Labs initiatives, Digitas this morning announced a partnership with New York University’s Movement Lab, a leading academic research initiative focusing on the analysis and animation of “human movement.”

As part of the partnership, the Movement Lab will create a 3D “motion capture lab” in Digitas’ New York office, enabling the agency to research and develop applications for digital marketing and advertising.

Digitas said the deal marks the launch of a new “Partnership Program,” in which the Digitas Lab will help incubate technology start-ups and/or educational institutions developing innovative digital applications.

“We’re evolving a new visual language around movement and what can be explored and navigated,” Digitas North America CEO Colin Kinsella stated, adding: “The ability to incubate new, content-rich brand-related projects using 3D motion capture technology opens up a whole new lane of innovation that has, until now, only scratched the surface.”

Potential marketing applications for the technology include the creation of live-action experiences for sports and entertainment fans, new types of "deep content" Web search experiences, and in-store body-language kiosk applications.