It may sound odd not to use a touch screen or a mouse to surf the Internet, but, with the advancement of technology, you can. This is achieved through a new software plugin called Leap Motion.
When in the interface, users wave their hands in specific ways that Leap recognizes as a gesture and reacts accordingly. Leap uses the computer’s camera to detect motion; everything takes places right in front of the screen. You can almost go without the mouse or trackpad entirely.
The interface is completely intuitive and is friction-free, meaning there is no need to touch anything on the screen! The most button pushing you have to do is a simple keystroke that changes the tool that you use. It’s so advanced that Leap recognizes all ten fingers at once!
Leap has great potential for consumer use by providing another interesting way to surf the Internet. Don’t want a window open? Just close it with a simple gesture. Want to scale down a window for split screen? Scale it down and move it aside. The possibilities are endless with Leap.
But what about the designers? Leap Motion offers designers tools that they can use during the design process. Designers can now just wave their hands to quickly sketch designs, rotate an image or literally sculpt a 3D model with both hands and send it to a 3D printer.
The way people surf the Internet and work is changing again. Leap will be released in the Mac App Store this coming December and is expected to cost $70. In my opinion it’s well worth it, but you should conduct some additional research before purchasing.
If you want additional information or would like to see a video demonstration of the software, visit www.leapmotion.com.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025