Motion-control computing, previously the stuff of science fiction, is rapidly becoming more science than fiction, and may soon be crashing the personal computer market in a very big way.
Imagine shedding your mouse or trackpad, and instead navigating the screen by swiping and jabbing the air in front of you. That’s the promise of motion-control computing, a technology associated most notably with Microsoft’s Kinect attachment for personal computers and their Xbox 360 video-game console, reports
Idea Lab.
While Microsoft has enjoyed strong sales of the Kinect peripheral, they are about to face stiff competition from a Silicon Valley start up, Leap Motion, which recently introduced the Leap – a USB-connected device that enables users to interact with their computer using motion control. Perhaps most significantly, the company has priced the Leap at $70 dollars – less than half of the price of an Xbox 360 Kinect, and just over a quarter the price of a PC Kinect.
Microsoft’s public reaction has been nonchalant. A company spokesperson insisted, “We welcome new entrants – it helps awareness of the category and drive more developer interest and innovation.”
The Leap is slated for release in December 2012 or January 2013.
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