The Leap Motion Controller hardware & software allows users to interact with their personal computers with a flick of a wrist. (via Leap Motion)
The Leap Motion device offers consumers a revolutionary way to immediately add motion-control capability to a home computer or laptop with a tiny, palm sized piece of hardware that costs a mere only $79.99 - less than half of the Xbox Kinect sensor. The device, which will start shipping out all pre-orders on May 13th, has already been a big hit in the app development world after 12,000 units were shipped out to developers last year. Now with only a few weeks before its launch, the folks at Leap Motion have announced a recent move to partner with HP and bring their 3D motion controllers to market alongside the well-established PC company’s products.
The partnership will allow HP to bundle the Leap Motion controller alongside its lineup of new HP desktops and laptops - but most interestingly signifies that future HP computers will have the Leap Motion technology directly integrated into them. As announced, these devices will be pre-loaded with the Leap Motion app store, fittingly named Airspace, where users will have access to a wide range of 3D motion control enabling apps.
We can only marvel at the amazing user experience this partnership will have in store for future computer products - however, as mentioned before, Leap Motion technology has already created a swirl of activity in the DIY developer realm. Innovation by hacking has begun, to say the least.
For instance, Mingming Fan, a student from University of California-Irvine has already managed to hack the Leap controller to work on a smartphone. Fan mentions that his goal is to make the space around the phone usable, allowing users to “reach into” the smartphone to take control of on-screen objects. Another “small-time” hack comes from the group over at LabView Hacker, who were able to use Leap Motion’s technology to operate a Parrot’s AR.Drone by hand gesture. Check out the video below for a run through from the LabView hackers themselves:
Gamers may be quick to point out the exciting enhancements such technology would have on overall PC gaming experience. Vedran Skarica of divIT says it may be awhile before motion control is able to completely phase 2D controls (mouse) out as the PC gamer controller of choice, but reassures excited gamers by explaining that the Leap’s technology is the first thing to come along in a while that can out-do the classic mouse.
And finally... even AutoDesk has joined in on the Leap hacking fun: Brian Pene, AutoDesk researcher, assembled prototype hardware that allows hand-gesture controlled manipulation of digital models on AutoCad! Remind you of Iron Man much? Pene stated, "Using a mouse you'd have to pick up everything in 2D space while constantly manipulating the view. With Leap you can reach in and grab much like you do in the physical world.”
C
See more news at:
