Leap offers accurate hands free 3D motion control, could make Kinect shy

Motion control: the very phrase alludes to a world of advanced scope, where device-user interaction is fascinatingly regulated by just our physical motional patterns. Starting from Nintendo's Wii to the exalted Kinect, this glorious ambit is marked by analysts and pundits as the ultimate progressive sphere where tech enthusiasts would find their gizmo fueled salvation. And, going along such enterprising lines, a San Francisco startup called Leap Motion has supposedly notched up motion controlling to whole new levels of elaborate interaction. According to reports, their 3D based technology insinuates a user oriented capacity that allows controlling with hundredth of millimeter (1/100) accuracy.

Leap

Now, before we continue harping about this state-of-the-art technology, it should be duly noted that the project is still under development, with the full release (for users) eminent sometime in next year. However, the team has showcased their current developmental status, and we are surely intrigued by it.

Basically, Leap Motion's design entails a device which is slightly bigger than a USB input device, complimented by an advanced software platform. The whole package is expected to come at a cost of around $69.99.

Now, beyond its physical magnitude, the technology is itself can be seen as an evolution of the Kinect system. While Kinect is limited by the motional pattern of the user's hands, the Leap mechanism will correspond to even minute flickering of our fingers. In fact, the company has gone on to say that their conception is 200 times more sensitive than any comparable technology currently available on the market.

Functionally, the Leap creates around four cubic feet interactive space around it. This 'virtual zone' can detect the movement of your fingers and arms for various forms of program accessibility. For example, one can navigate an OS or even browse through the net by just their finger movement patterns. In addition to these, various other functions are just as easily achievable like finger-pinching to zoom in on maps, interacting and manipulating with virtual 3D models, high precision interactive drawing and obviously playing games.

Finally, coming to the commercial aspect of this whole new scheme, Leap Motion has already decided to go ahead with third party developers for expected future applications of their technology. As a matter of fact, the company has envisaged a sort of app store where users who have purchased Leap can also buy a wide range of applications tailored for the device.

This scope is not only advantageous to the developer and user community from the price perspective, but it also bodes well for the usability factor. Unlike the stratagem followed by Microsoft (in case of Kinect), this 'collectively' open decision can help in creation of a myriad of innovative and fun applications, fueled by the device's intriguingly accurate motion sensing technology..

Via: CNet/VentureBeat