In a bustling tent set up in a parking lot here at the South By Southwest Interactive Festival, people are pointing their hands and gesturing with chopsticks as they guide various actions on a dozen computer screens.
Some of the sharpest minds in technology have gathered in Austin, Texas, to ponder the ever-connected nature of the modern world. A big theme this year focuses on how to create more seamless interactions between people and technology, finding ways to control devices that go beyond mice, trackpads and touchscreens.
That’s where the Leap Motion, a computer controller, comes in. It’s the gadget’s first public appearance. On display are popular games such as the fruit-chopping “Fruit Ninja,” and a more challenging one involving a maze. One man paints a picture by moving his fingers a few inches from a computer screen.
Greg Dziem, who works in data management in Austin, is using the controller to play the maze game. “It’s pretty sensitive,” he says. “You have to go slow. You have to be calm, steady.”
The best-known motion controller to date has been Microsoft Corp.’s Kinect, which is used primarily for video games. People stand at least six feet from the device, which is usually mounted on or near a TV set. Cameras in the Kinect track users’ movements and transmit them to the computer. But while Kinect is meant for living rooms and dancing games, Leap Motion is designed for people to use while seated and moving their hands just a few inches from the screens of laptops and personal computers.
“The technology was born out of the deep frustration of interacting with computers,” says CEO and co-founder Michael Buckwald. While computers are “vastly different” than they were 30 years ago, he says, the way people interact with them hasn’t really evolved.
Leap hopes to change that, allowing people to use natural hand movements to control games, complete office tasks, paint, create 3-D objects, and edit music and video. Leap’s creators don’t like to use the word “gesture” because that implies a set of pre-determined hand movements to control the screen. Instead, they like to think of their technology as more seamless than that.
Buckwald talks about the barrier that exists between computers and their users and says the best way to get rid of it is to harness “people’s natural ability to interact” with the machine.
“Every day we reach out and grab things,” he says. “It’s very natural, but very complicated. We want people to reach into the computer.”
Using Leap may take a little getting used to, if only because people who are accustomed to touchscreens may be tempted to poke at the monitor instead of sweeping and flicking their hands a few inches away from it.
In a demonstration, Leap’s vice president of product marketing, Michael Zagorsek, showed off a yet-to-be named photo application that lets people browse through the photos on their computer using Leap. In another app, users can strum on-screen strings to make music. A demo-only program designed to show Leap’s properties lets users mold a piece of virtual clay using their hands and a chopstick. There was no noticeable lag between the off-screen action and the on-screen movement.
The device itself is a bit longer and narrower than a matchbox. It works using three infrared LED lights and two cameras to track users’ hands. It plugs into a PC or a Mac and sits between the user and the keyboard.
The controllers will cost $80 and will be sold in Best Buy stores beginning on May 19. Leap will have an app store, called Airspace, with free and paid apps available in areas that range from gaming to 3-D modeling to travel to business and finance.
Biscuit Filmworks Signs Director Aerin Moreno For Her First Commercial Representation
Biscuit Filmworks has added Aerin Moreno to its directing roster for her first career commercial representation. Moreno’s visual style is rooted in dynamic storytelling, infectious choreography, and female-driven pop culture narratives.
Known for her high-energy music videos, Moreno has repeatedly collaborated with pop sensation Tate McRae and has also worked with artists including Tyla, Madison Beer, Sofi Tukker, Nessa Barrett, Marina, Damiano David, and Tinashe. Moreno’s ability to connect with artists, establish trust, and navigate each collaboration with care has been key to her success in the music video realm. Moreno brings this same creative energy to advertising, working with brands seeking to connect with audiences in fresh and meaningful ways.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Moreno fell in love with film at a young age and graduated from UCLA Film School. She quickly made a name for herself in the music video industry, standing out for her ability to direct and edit projects, and her intuitive sense of narrative pacing. In addition to music videos, she has also helmed short films like Lotusland and Grandma’s Fall From Heaven, both of which explore themes of identity, relationships, and resilience with emotional depth and striking visuals.
“The power of pop culture constantly excites me,” said Moreno. “It has such a lasting impact, especially on young people, and I love being a part of that. Delivering what an artist wants, pushing it a little further, and capturing the essence of who they are is my passion. When considering who to partner with, I kept returning to Biscuit because of the way they champion bold, creative visions.”
“Aerin has a remarkable understanding of cultural currency,”... Read More