Leap Motion reveals its latest hand-tracking tech for virtual reality

Leap Motion, the company that creates motion-control software and hardware for hand and finger tracking within virtual and augmented realities, has just unveiled its latest technology called Orion.

Orion is software and hardware product that allows virtual reality developers and headset makers to access the true potential of hand and finger movements. According to the company, the improved tracking will allow developers to recreate nuanced physical interactions with digital objects in completely new ways.

The Orion software will be available for use with the company’s new embeddable hardware for virtual reality and augmented reality headset manufacturers, but the new tech also works with current Leap Motion hardware like the Leap Motion Controller, for developers who want to get started immediately.

“The holy grail of virtual reality is a sense of total presence and immersion. With Orion, we’re enabling developers and OEMs to create that type of experience. People can use their own hands and fingers to interact with digital content in VR with the same ease and nuance they use in the real world,” said Michael Buckwald, Leap Motion Co-founder and CEO.

Features

Orion starts tracking movements faster, and farther, with lower latency, and in situations where previous software couldn’t keep up. It’s also equipped with increased sensitivity so it can pick up movements at different angles. Leap Motion was also able to separate the hand from its backgrounds to improve efficiency.

For a better understanding of what the technology is all about, watch Leap Motion’s flagship demonstration “Blocks”.

Leap Motion has made a beta of the Orion software available along with new demo experiences and development tools.