Leap Motion began as a company that created a markerless tracking device for desktop PC applications. Since then, the company has become far better known for its work in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), but has now released a new update for its hand-tracking unit.
Leap Motion has announced an update which brings in major improvements across the board, and it comes along with three new demos for users to test out its capabilities.
The company has previously introduced updates for its software to implement various improvements, and that the latest update will be a big step forward for the technology. Leap Motion are referring to the new update as the ‘Fourth generation of our core software’.
The new update introduces the following improvements:
- Better finger dexterity and fidelity
- Significantly smoother hand and finger tracking, with motions that look and feel more natural
- Faster and more consistent hand initialization
- Better hand pose stability and reliability
- Improved tracking fidelity against complex backgrounds and extreme lighting
- More accurate shape and scale for hands
Along with the beta version of the new software for Windows, three demo applications are also being made available. The first is simply called Paint, which lets users draw using a paint palette and a pinching gesture (as if holding a paintbrush). The second is called Particles, which lets users interact with lots of simulated particles. The third is called Cat Explorer, which lets you take apart a cartoon cat to see how it is put together, a cruel fate for a cute-looking creature.
Leap Motion are also releasing improvements to the developments tools, including a new updated integrations for Unity and Unreal Engine. Further information can be found on the Leap Motion blog.
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