Leap 3D motion control system: control your computer by waving your hands 

In a giant leap for…  touchless control to the next level of home desktops and laptops. Leap Motion, a San Francisco-based motion-control software and hardware company, has unveiled impressive technology called “Leap”, a small USB input device.   Once connected to your computer via USB, it creates a four-cubic-foot virtual workspace.

200-times more accuracy than rivals, it will be ready to ship this winter, a hardware/software combo to cost for $70 .

A simple thumb drive, the Leap sensor is much smaller than the Kinect bar. It is also 200 times more accurate and able to follow your movements to the 1/100th of a millimeter, according to Leap Motion’s website.

• Navigating an operating system or browsing Web pages with the flick of a finger
• Finger-pinching to zoom in on maps
• Letting engineers interact with a 3D model of clay
• Precision drawing in either two- or three-dimensions
• Manipulating complex 3D data visualizations
• Playing games, including those that require very “fast-twitch” control
• Signing digital documents by writing in air

Leap 3D motion control system

“It was this gap between what’s easy in the real world but very complicated to do digitally, like molding a piece of clay or creating a 3D model, that inspired us to create the Leap and fundamentally change how people work with their computers,” Leap Motion chief executive officer and co-founder Michael Buckwald said in a press release.

“In addition to the Leap for computers, our core software is versatile enough to be embedded in a wide range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, cars and refrigerators. One day 3-D motion control will be in just about every device we interact with, and thanks to the Leap, that day is coming sooner than anyone expected.”

Check out the video below for an impressive demonstration.

About the author: Janina Energin

Associate News Editor, worked in IT (Software) for over 10 years, in the outsourcing industry, product companies and web start-ups. She has operations management experience and has first-hand experience with project management, payroll and various other software programs designed for small and large business operations.