Category: Ultraleap Gemini

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Ultraleap Hand-tracking Update Delivers Improved Two-handed Interactions

The latest version of Ultraleap’s hand-tracking tech is finally available today on Windows for use with the Leap Motion Controller accessory and promises to improve two-handed interactions, speed, and robustness. The release includes a demo experience showcasing how hand-tracking can be used as a primary input for a standalone XR device.

Ultraleap today publicly released ‘Gemini’, the company’s fifth-generation hand-tracking software which was initially made available in a developer preview earlier this year. The improved hand-tracking software has already been deployed to headsets like Varjo’s and been made available for devices based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2, and now it can be downloaded on Windows to be used with the company’s existing Leap Motion Controller accessory which can be mounted to VR headsets. Support for MacOS and Linux are expected further down the road.

While the Leap Motion Controller is by now quite old, the company has continued to refine the software that underlies it, improving on what is already recognized as some of the best hand-tracking tech available in the industry. More recently, Ultraleap has released improved hand-tracking modules with a wider field-of-view and other improvements, though these aren’t available as a standalone accessory.

Image courtesy Ultraleap

With the Gemini update, Ultraleap says it has improved two-handed interactions, initialization speed, and the robustness of its hand-tracking. Alongside the Windows release of Gemini, the company is also making available an ‘XR Launcher’ demo experience which shows how the hand-tracking tech can be used for a fully functional XR interface.

The post Ultraleap Hand-tracking Update Delivers Improved Two-handed Interactions appeared first on Road to VR.

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Ultraleap Gemini Brings 5th-Gen Hand Tracking to Windows

Ultraleap Gemini

Earlier in the year, hand tracking experts Ultraleap unveiled a preview of its fifth-generation hand-tracking software offering a number of improvements including two-handed interactions. Called Gemini, today Ultraleap has announced the official launch of this new hand tracking platform, fully compatible with Windows systems.

Ultraleap Gemini

Already available in Varjo headsets and integrated into Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 5G reference design, Gemini marks the first full software release from the company in three years. Completely rebuilding its hand-tracking engine, the core improvements see refinement in two-handed tracking, where occlusion can impair the sensors ability to distinguish between either hand when close together.

Another important enhancement is the speed at which hands are detected. Some location-based entertainment (LBE) venues utilise Ultraleap hand tracking, if you’ve experienced one then you may have noticed that when your hands are out of sight bringing them back would take a few seconds. That should now be rectified with Gemini.

Ultraleap also notes that Gemini offers: “Improved robustness to challenging environmental conditions,” so a user’s hands should be much more easily tracked if lighting conditions suddenly change, for example. To showcase these new features Ultraleap check out the new XR launcher experience in the trailer below.

Ultraleap Gemini

“Ultraleap Gemini is the next step in bringing intuitive and seamless XR experiences to life by making natural interaction between humans and technology possible. With ten years of continuous innovation and experience from supporting over 350k developers, we have refined our hand tracking to deliver the best and most flexible hand tracking platform available,” said Matt Tullis, Product Director, Spatial Computing, Ultraleap, in a statement. “We are looking forward to working with software and hardware partners to bring hand tracking and XR to the masses.”

The new Gemini system is available to download today and works with both the Leap Motion Controller and Stereo IR 170 camera module. For further Ultraleap updates, keep reading VRFocus.

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Ultraleap Gemini Hand Tracking Improves Two-Handed Interactions

Ultraleap has shared a developer preview of Gemini, the fifth generation of its hand tracking software, claiming improved performance with two-handed interactions.

Ultraleap says that it rewrote its tracking engine “from the ground up” for Gemini, which will allow increased flexibility and compatibility with different types of hardware and platforms. The Gemini software will be integrated in the Varjo VR-3 and XR-3 headsets. Back in September last year, Qualcomm announced that Ultraleap’s Gemini software would also be implemented into the Qualcomm XR2 reference design.

A common problem with hand tracking technology is decreased performance when both hands are placed in closed proximity to each other. Having both hands interact and touch with each other increases the complexity of the hand tracking and will often give unreliable results or partial tracking for one or both hands. A good example of this is the hand tracking found in the Oculus Quest and Quest 2 — while often reliable, it will easily get confused when both hands interact with each other.

Ultraleap claims to offer “significantly better performance with two-hand interactions” with its Gemini software — a claim that it backed up with an accompanying video, embedded in the tweet above.

It also claims that Gemini will offer “even better smoothness, pose fidelity, and robustness” along with “improved hand initialization.”

You can read more about the Gemini Developer Preview and sign up to test the preview release here. The preview release will only be available on Windows 10, but Ultraleap says support for additional platforms will be added in later releases.

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Ultraleap’s Fifth-Gen Hand Tracking Software Improves Two-handed Interactions

Ultraleap Gemini

Hand tracking is moving more and more into mainstream virtual reality (VR), whether that’s in consumer headsets like Oculus Quest 2 or Varjo’s high-end enterprise devices. The latter employs Ultraleap’s technology, with the hand tracking specialist announcing a developer preview is available for version 5 of its Gemini software.

Ultraleap Gemini
Ultraleap Gemini improvements show both hands can be used together. It enables natural interaction with virtual objects. Image credit: Ultraleap.

One of the main problems with software-based hand tracking solutions over actual gloves like HaptX or SenseGlove are two-handed interactions. Natural interactions like holding hands or one going behind the other are difficult to portray due to occlusion, where the sensors can no longer see fingers of the entire hand. To maintain natural immersion so that tracking isn’t lost or a hand suddenly disappears, Ultraleap has improved this important aspect with Gemini v5.

It may only be in a developer preview form at the moment – a full release will come later in the year – but the above GIF showcases the improvements made over the previous edition, Orion. The full hand and fingers are tracked and maintained no matter how they interact.

Gemini’s preview features include:

  • Even better smoothness, pose fidelity, and robustness (likely to be most apparent on desktop mode)
  • Improved hand initialization
  • Significantly better performance with two-hand interactions
  • New Screentop modes (to be mounted above an interactive screen) in addition to HMD and Desktop mode
Ultraleap Gemini
Combined with Stereo IR 170’s wider FoV and Gemini’s improved hand initialization,  hands will almost certainly be tracked before coming into view.

While Gemini works with both Ultraleap camera modules the Leap Motion Controller and Stereo IR 170, the latter’s wider field of view (FoV) means that hands can be tracked sooner, even before they come in a users line of sight. Leap Motion Controller has been available for several years now and can be used on a desk or mounted onto a VR headset. The Stereo IR 170 (in Camera Module and Evaluation Kit form) is primarily designed for integration and development needs.

Ultraleap tech might already be used by Varjo and Pimax but it’s the integration with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 5G reference design which could see more consumers gain access. The XR2 platform is going to lay the groundwork for plenty of devices over the next couple of years, making hand tracking even more prominent. For further Ultraleap updates, keep reading VRFocus.