It’s hard to believe that something that we used today was originally made from a butter dish and a roll on deodorant ball, yet the mouse has become the masterstroke to bring the consumer closer to their computer. How many times a day do we move that little plastic thing to perform magic on our computers? Undoubtedly it has helped conceive some of the most amazing achievements mankind has accomplished to date - take a bow mouse.
Things haven't stopped there though, the future looked great, touchscreens became commonplace on our phones and then we got bigger to tablets and 'phablets'. Now even laptops come equipped with touchscreens we can interact with to perform our tasks, yet somehow the old faithful mouse or stylus just won't be beaten when it comes to accuracy. Until now perhaps...
I remember a film, starring a certain Mr Cruise that inspired me to think the future will be great, we won’t be tied to the keyboard, the mouse, we can move things, grab objects and spin things on our computer with just our hands and fingers. That’s the future I want, where is my dream? Well my prayer may have just been answered in the form of Leap Motion. Intrigued? Good, then read on…
What is leap motion?
Back in May 2012, Leap Motion came up with a vision, what if we could control everything on our desktops or laptops with just the slight movement of our hands? The idea they sought to create offered the ability to move, pinch and grab everything on our screens, rotate and drop it just as we would with an object in our hands.
The result is mind blowing - a small device that sits in front of your computer that allows you to move things with the power of hand movement. Measuring a tiny 0.5 inches in height and 1.2 inches in length this slick little device weighs just under 50 grams too. It sports a slick aluminium body and rubber top, connects via computer using a USB connection port and would not look out of place nestled among Apples well known range of devices. The Leap Motion Controller will be compatible with Windows 7 or 8 or Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion .
Just as appealing is that the price is set to be around about £65 based on today's exchange rate - very cool.
So how does it work?
It tracks finger movement to 1/100 th of a millimetre and is 200 times more sensitive than other motion control devices currently out there. With a 150 degree field of view and a Z-Axis for depth it will allow you to control objects on your computer like you would in real life.
It uses infra-red cameras to measure movements in a 3 dimensional space that can be interpreted by your computer and replicated on the screen. In English, tap your finger in mid-air and the Leap Motion controller will open up a folder on your screen. Want to draw a work of art then use your hand to draw just like you would on a piece of paper. Imagine the possibilities of flying a plane using just the movement of your hands and you won’t be far off what this little box is capable off.
Everyone has an App Store
Of course a product is only as good as the software that comes with it. Leap Motion are well aware of this and before launch they have put into the hands of 10,000 developers. They have created their own app store called Airspace, promising apps for all categories including graphics and design to create that master piece, a tasty looking Air Guitar simulator in the music section, rotate the sky in the education section or just get down to a driving a car with imaginary steering wheel in the game section. If Leap Motion get this right and even more developers get on board then they may have one heck of a product on their hands.
Summary
I can’t hide my excitement for the Leap Motion Controller; I have had my unit on pre-order since May 2012. The high level of anticipation for the controller has led to deals with ASUS and HP to have Leap Motion embedded in their computers on future laptop models meaning the future looks extremely bright for the technology.
There have been some delays; it was originally due for release Dec 2012. However, word from the Leap Motion camp is they want to make sure that the Leap Motion controller works exactly as advertised before they launch.
If they get enough apps to show this technology off, then this could well be the defining technology that will get rid of your roller balled butter dish that has tied you down for so long and enjoy the freedom of this amazing future technology.