The Leap Motion controller, a sort of Kinect-for-the-computer, offers exciting possibilities for artists and games. The motion control device is similar to the Xbox 360’s motion control camera, and is available for pre-order now.
According to its official website, the Leap Motion plugs into a computer’s USB port, and operates as the mouse. It allows the full functionality of a normal mouse, such as scrolling, zooming, gaming, and drawing, all with natural gestures.
The world was first introduced to the Leap Motion last May, with a snazzy demonstration of its synergy with Fruit Ninja, amongst other things. Check out what the Leap Motion is capable of for yourself!
At just the size of a flash drive, the Leap Motion looks to be an impressive piece of technology. It has a broad target market of varying groups, such as video game players. Its official website advertises, “Gaming addiction? With the Leap Motion controller, now you can crush the enemy with your bare hands.” Surgeons may benefit from being able to practice on 3D models, while artists will appreciate having more precise control on their artwork.
A further example of the potential capabilities of the Leap Motion was revealed via a digital version of the classic physics game Jenga. In the video below, every block is removed using a quick, fluid gesture. The difficulty of this Jenga game can be adjusted, and points are scored depending on where the blocks land once removed.
Clearly, there are huge numbers of possible applications for this motion control technology. It also looks like great fun to boot!
Are you sold on this idea? Or are you still confused as to why a Kinect-like mouse is necessary for computers?
We think that it could be pretty fun to be able to control a video game on your computer with simple movements of the body. However, this does seem to leak into the whole purpose of the Kinect for the Xbox 360.
The device will make its début in North America on May 19 for $79.
The Leap Motion is available for pre-order off of its official website here.