The new Leap Motion Mobile Platform consists of hardware and software optimised for VR and AR hand tracking on mobile devices. Building on the success of the original Leap Motion device, the brand new hardware aims to be tightly integrated into future mobile VR headsets.
Designed as a natural motion interface for PC and Mac, the original Leap Motion Controller began shipping in volume in July 2013, for $80. This attractive price was largely achieved by a breakthrough in software; the hardware itself was fairly simple, containing two cameras and three infrared LEDs. Early hand tracking applications which interfaced with traditional displays seemed somewhat abstract, but the compact dimensions and light weight meant that Leap Motion Controllers soon found themselves attached to the front of Oculus Rift development kits. This allowed users to finally ‘see’ their hands in VR, with fully-tracked fingers, marking the beginning of a fruitful relationship between Leap Motion and VR.
Since then, Leap Motion has improved their VR support significantly, and the importance of software was further illustrated by the huge jump in technology delivered by ‘Project Orion’ which began as a major software update in February designed specifically for VR. While still using the original hardware, Orion delivered massive improvements to tracking speed and accuracy. However, the Leap Motion Controller’s hardware was finalised in 2012, and we’ve been waiting patiently for the second phase of Orion, a brand new tracking system designed for VR and built in to headsets.
As clarified in an answer in the blog’s comments, this is intended to be embedded technology, and the company has no plans for a new standalone peripheral. No further information was provided in terms of timeframe or pricing, but the company says we can expect to see Leap Motion technology in multiple mobile headsets in the near future.
