14 DAY TRIAL // PC sales are flagging. Everyone knows this by now, and it's all the fault of tablets and smartphones. HP thinks it can turn things around though, and intends to use Leap Motion's 3D motion control technology to make it happen.
Touch support is something that analysts and PC vendors alike believe will become a standard feature of laptops and even monitors/TVs by the end of this year, or the next.
By using Leap Motion's technology, HP will go one step further, enabling gesture control without the need to touch the screen at all.
This smudge-free and comfortable method of interacting with technology would rely on the 3D motion controller that Leap Motion will release on May 18.
Previously, the company said its small, stick-like movement tracker would arrive on May 13, but we suppose 6 days aren't that big a delay.
For those interested in how it works, the device has to be placed at the foot of whatever monitor or TV one is using.
Once on, it will detect hands as soon as they appear in the air above it, and interpret finger movements and such.
Naturally, this won't be usable in laptops as is, which is why HP intends to build the sensor straight into its notebooks.
“Our focus at Leap Motion is to fundamentally improve how people interact with their devices, and offer as many ways as possible to achieve that vision,” said Leap Motion Co-Founder and CEO Michael Buckwald.
“The possibilities for innovation are incredible, when you think about what will come from this collaboration between two respected global leaders in their fields – HP, the world’s largest technology company and Leap Motion, creator of the world’s most powerful 3D motion-control technology.”
Leap Motion's 3D controller and the Airspace App Store will be bundled with specific desktop and laptop products. No clue how this will affect pricing, but the standalone device will ship for $80 / 61 EUR, so we can expect a premium.