‘Minority Report’ Style Interface Coming to Mac, Via “Leap”

You may have recently heard that Microsoft is looking into bringing it’s XBOX Kinnect interface to computers. If you have seen some of the videos of early implementations, you know it is still kind of clunky and inaccurate. Also, there are no plans for Apple to do anything like this with the Mac.

A 3rd party developer, by the name of Leap Motion, has created a simple USB dongle that you can add to your Mac, to get a Kinnect style interface, but with way more precision. the Leap USB peripheral can detect hand and finger motion, as well as the tip of a pen or pencil. You can use your hands to grab and move items on the screen and pinch to zoom in and out, similar to members of the Pre-Crime Division, in Minority Report.

The Leap is a small iPod sized USB peripheral that creates a 3D interaction space of 8 cubic feet to precisely interact with and control software on your laptop or desktop computer. It’s like being able to reach into the computer and pull out information as easily as reaching into a cookie jar.

The Leap senses your individual hand and finger movements independently, as well as items like a pen. In fact, it’s 200x more sensitive than existing touch-free products and technologies. It’s the difference between sensing an arm swiping through the air and being able to create a precise digital signature with a fingertip or pen.

Here’s a video of how Leap could be used:

YouTube video

The Leap is not quite available yet, but they are accepting pre-orders. For a more information on the device, you can check out there FAQ. If you would like to pre-order, it’ll cost you $69.99. There has been no shipping date announced, but your credit card will not be charged until the item is shipped. Click here to pre-order now!

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