Leap Motion impresses with V2 beta update - capable of tracking finger bones

28 May 2014

Will the V2 Tracking SDK improve on Leap Motion’s not so stellar performance? (via LeapMotion)

Since Microsoft released their Kinect motion-tracking controller back in 2010, companies have been clamoring to bring their own gestural interfaces to the market.

ASUS was one of the first to recognize the future of interaction and began developing their Xtion motion-sensing device, which incidentally was created by the same engineers responsible for the Kinect and features much of the same technology. Google is hopping onboard the motion-sensing bandwagon as well and is in the process of developing a spatial-aware mobile device (known as Project Tango), which is capable of rendering a detailed 3D model of its immediate surroundings.

On the smaller end of the spectrum in terms of device size, Leap Motion enticed prospective users with a tiny motion-tracking controller that would bring gestural interfacing to desktop and laptop PCs through a simple USB connection. The company’s controller was successfully funded on Kickstarter with user’s eager like a kid on Christmas morning to get their hands on it and delve into the world of gestural interfacing.

Those who pre-ordered their device finally received the controller back in July of last year and their excitement was quickly replaced by an almost collective sigh and a resounding ‘meh’, like chewing a piece of ‘Fruit Stripe’ gum, which tastes great for the first few seconds and then quickly fades to a bland wad of polymer. To be fair, it was greeted with mixed reviews. Some found it to be perfect for their gestural needs, while others used unflattering words and phrases such as ‘underdeveloped’, ‘major disappointment’ and ‘poorly executed.’

When I used it initially, it was like being put under a spell. That level of connectivity on my PC made me feel like anything was possible. After a sizable amount of time playing the free games… I tried it out for PC control. That is where the fun ended for me. I found the tracking to be frustrating. But, V2 SDK has my hoped up once again. Time to dust off the Leap Motion controller.

Like me, most found that the sensor doesn’t tracking fingers as it should - and to be honest, has a steep learning curve when it comes to software interaction and apps.

The Kinect had some of those shortcomings as well when it was released and has since undergone revisions (and even home modifications) to bring it where it is today. Leap Motion has taken a page from Microsoft and is looking to improve upon their controller’s underwhelming performance with a beta release of their V2 SDK.

The release boasts some performance promises in terms of increased functionality, including the ability to label and track user’s joints and finger bones, even when their positioned out of the device’s LOS (Line of Sight). There is also increased resistance to ambient IR light from the sun or bright indoor lighting and they have even included granular data, such as 27 dimensions of data per hand and special parameter (grab, pinch, etc.) APIs for developers to play with and fine-tune for applications.

The V2 beta update doesn’t require any new hardware to use and is available now for download. However, bear in mind two things - there are very little applications that will take advantage of the update, as its newly released and the SDK is in beta form, so any problems that are encountered may be fixed by the final release.