Talk:Leap Motion

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Restored Competition section[edit]

A relevant NPOV section on competition to Leap Motion was deleted by an IP editor with no justification. Given these facts, the most likely reason is an employee removing information in order to promote their company (Conflict of Interest). For this reason, I have undone the edit. If the IP editor wishes to delete the section, he should provide a concrete reason. David Spector (talk) 01:10, 9 October 2013 (UTC)[reply]

It's a bizarre edit though ... it actually looks like aggressive marketing to me from LM3LABS. The competition section would best be served by mentioning the actual conversation, as there are many competitors, not this single one. Devoting five paragraphs in an already short article on a single competitor who, afaict, seems barely notable seems rather odd. Having a hard time even coming up with reasonable ghits for this company or for the AirStrike product. (No reviews and only a couple of videos, is this even real?) Full disclosure, I work at Leap, but, I've been editing wikipedia quite a bit longer. joshbuddy, talk 10:14, 26 October 2013 (UTC)[reply]
I am removing this section as it appears to be blatant marketing done by a competing corporation. Gandydancer (talk) 13:50, 12 November 2013 (UTC)[reply]
A competition section is often ripe for link-bait and plugs by competing companies. They should be deleted in most cases. The exception is when the sources contain some kind of analysis and we offer the same. For example, if we cover how the products compare to competitors, if the organization is specifically known for being part of a hyper-competitive market or if they are part of a group of companies with a collective reputation. CorporateM (Talk) 17:18, 12 November 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Updating this article[edit]

Hey, my name is Alex Colgan and I’m the head writer at Leap Motion. I’m here to suggest changes and contribute resources towards improving the quality of this article.

I’m fully on board with Wikipedia’s contributions guidelines, including those related to conflict of interest. This means that I won’t make any direct edits. Instead, my aim is to work with impartial editors who can make NPOV contributions and hopefully make it better! If you’d like to help me, please let me know. Along with my user talk page, you can also contact me at acolgan@leapmotion.com.

Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion 14:57, 8 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

What changes do you suggest? Gandydancer (talk) 12:51, 13 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Hey Gandydancer, I've made a list of suggested changes below with full references. I can definitely draft something if necessary, but thought it best to take it slow and get community feedback first. At the very least, I hope that the references I've collected will prove useful.
History
The original motivations behind the technology's creation are important to note. This 2013 article from Inc. covers the early days in more detail, including how David Holz first developed the tech when he was working at NASA. [1]
As well, this piece in Popular Science goes into way more depth, and might serve as a decent resource. [2]
Hardware Partnerships
The ASUS computers have shipped. [3]
The HP devices have also been available for quite some time. [4]
A clarification: The tech is embedded in one type of laptop, the Envy 17 Leap Motion SE. The keyboard is a standalone device, which can be obtained separately, or packaged with 9 other computers. Not sure if the manufacturer's site is a good resource [5]; these articles from Engadget and Fast Company article might help [6] [7].
Would it make sense to show a picture of one of the keyboards?
Retail Partnerships
The device is also available in South Africa (Incredible Connection), Germany and Switzerland (Media Markt), and Japan. Sources: [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] (note that 11 is a rehash of the initial press release)
Airspace
Third-party media coverage of note:
  • Freeform (clay sculpting app released by Leap Motion last year): [16] [17]
  • New York Times: [18]
  • Muse (a music app created jointly by musician BT and Dr. Richard Boulanger of the Berklee College of Music): [19]
Note: the Airspace Store now has over 200 apps [20]
Technology
There's a good article on SparkFun where they tore apart one of our early revision models [21].
"Leap Motion initially distributed thousands of units to developers interested in creating applications for the device" (cut "who are") should probably go in the History section. The preceding and following sentences ("Leap Motion CEO Michael Buckwald told CNET:" and "The Leap Motion controller was first shipped in July, 2013") ought to be cut altogether.
Beyond these edits, the system's near-zero latency (commented in [22]) and its sub-millimetre precision (this 2013 study [23] concluded that it has an overall average accuracy of 0.7mm) might be worth mentioning.
Developer Community
The Inc.com article I indicated earlier mentions that the dev community was around 40,000 in May 2013 [24]. It's also perhaps worth noting that devs have used the device to create art, music, robotic controls, medical interfaces, games, etc. I've included some specific examples below.
NASA scientists using the device to remotely control a six-legged, one-ton Athlete rover located at the space agency's Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California: [25]
TedCas has been using the tech as a sterile (i.e. hands-free, no contamination) natural user interface for operating room imaging systems, under trial in 6 hospitals and two medical research centers around the world. (The link is to a TedCas press release; sufficient source?) [26]
Here's an academic paper about its use as a touchless image navigation system in dental surgery: [27]
In the Forbes article I linked earlier [28], there's a good wrapup of the LEAP AXLR8R (that's how they style it; I notice that the original VentureBeat citation runs with lower-case, while Forbes gets it right). These include:
  • Diplopia, a tech startup using the Leap Motion Controller and Oculus Rift for lazy eye sufferers (also profiled here [29] [30])
  • MotionSavvy, which is developing a Leap Motion-equipped tablet case that can interpret American Sign Language (see also [31] [32])
  • Visual Touch Therapy is gamifying physical therapy for stroke victims: [33]
  • Mirror Training is developing an interface for controlling robotic arms [34]
V2 Tracking
We've had a public beta of our V2 tracking out since May that has been picked up in a couple of news outlets. It has greatly improved occlusion robustness, massively improved resistance to ambient light, and fingerbone-level tracking. Would this fit in the technology section, perhaps? (Forbes again, plus Wired.) [35] [36]
Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 18:37, 13 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Have you checked with our guidelines to be certain that all of these sources are acceptable? Gandydancer (talk) 23:14, 13 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Having reread the guidelines, a few of them could probably be cut, or at least qualified as per Wikipedia:Third-party_sources. Below is a review of the various sources referenced:
  • The posts on Engadget, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, and The Verge are written by staff writers who routinely cover technology stories and have editorial oversight. I’m unsure about The Next Web (19), though I’ve seen it used as a reference on other Wikipedia articles.
  • Popular Science, Wired, Inc., and Fast Company are long-standing magazines. Articles posted online also have editorial oversight.
  • As I mentioned, the HP site is probably not a reliable source under the guidelines, though I think the claim being made is unexceptional and uncontroversial (i.e. a particular product line exists). The Engadget article that I linked could be used instead.
  • On a closer reading, 8, 9, and 10 aren't fully up to standards; sorry about that. Ditto for SparkFun (21).
  • 11 is a press release, so it could be used if the connection to the source is made clear.
  • 12 is an article under Bloomberg Businessweek and can be counted as a reliable source.
  • Under the Google Earth item, 14 is a Forbes blog (op-ed) and 15 is first-party Google documentation, so it may be best to scrap both. 13 is an article from Fast Company and covers it well.
  • The SIGGRAPH link (17) is an abstract written by the engineers presenting at the conference who head up the Freeform project. Given the source and the medium, is it usable if the connection to the source is made clear?
  • One of the Forbes links (collectively under 20, 28, and 35) is written by Anthony Wing Kosner, who is a tech contributor to Forbes. I noticed an “Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own” disclaimer.
  • 23 and 27 are academic studies published in peer-reviewed journals.
  • 26 is a press release, so it could be used if the connection to the source is made clear.
  • 30 is from a local San Francisco ABC news affiliate, a news organization with editorial oversight.
I'd appreciate your thoughts on these sources and where the line should be drawn in these cases. — Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 02:46, 14 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I generally do not work on this sort of article so am not familiar with exactly what is/is not OK for sources. But a little feedback: 1) Why did you rule out #14 (which in my experience should be OK) and yet accept #28,20,& 35? 2) Some refs seem to be trade mags?, yes, as far as I know, OK. 3) I'd suggest you plan out exactly how you would like to use these refs and check with Editing Wikipedia: Reliable sources/Noticeboard to see if they are OK. 4) You may want to strike refs you decide are not acceptable to keep this easier to follow.
I have a question: I know that you say you are a US company, but is your product manufactured in the US? Gandydancer (talk) 06:03, 14 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks Gandydancer, really appreciate the feedback.
(1) For 14, three sources seemed overdetermined, when one would suffice; I went with the one that seemed the most reliable (noticeboard has very little on Fast Company, and what's there is positive). I propose that the other Forbes article is reliable with some reservations. I don't think the assertions made are contentious (good discussion here on the Noticeboard about similar posts), so it's a question of whether or not it should be qualified by "According to Forbes tech contributor Anthony Wing Kosner..."
(2) Fast Company is a trade mag; as noted earlier, it checked out as far as I can tell. I'll investigate further on the Noticeboard and create a more detailed proposal as you suggested.
(3) My previous entry in this thread now has some sources stricken for the sake of clarity. If necessary, I will strike more after digging into the Noticeboard.
(4) We're based in San Francisco and the device is manufactured in China.[1]Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 13:53, 14 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Update: it looks like third-party tech media with editorial oversight is acceptable;[2] couldn't find any objections to The Next Web, and it does appear to be both notable and to have an Editor-in-Chief.[3] Ditto for the Businessweek profile.[4] The SIGGRAPH abstract that I referenced was vetted by a committee of third-party experts before being published on the SIGGRAPH website (see Evaluation tab here[5]); again, it could be included in the context of an assertion. Conference presentations are a rather complicated affair ^_^[6] Continuing work on a broader proposal that will include quotations and clearer indications of how each source might be treated; will post when ready. — Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 15:04, 14 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
When you are certain that all of your sources are WP:RS you could go ahead and write up what you would like to see added/changed. I'd like to mention that vetting a suggested edit done by an editor with a POV can be very difficult because I have not done any research to speak of on my own, and I have no idea whether you have only included sources that show your product in a good light. For instance, as an example, for all I know the peer reviewed studies that you provide may be cherry picked from other studies that were not so positive. WP:AGF just does not come into play when one editor is being paid. I hope that you can assure me that you have not overlooked any negative information sources that you have come across. Gandydancer (talk) 18:21, 14 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Sounds good; to avoid muddling the discussion I'll create different sections on the talk page to address each section; otherwise it will be very hard to keep track. I'll do my best to demonstrate good faith, specifically by: (a) not obscuring any negative sources that I encounter, (b) performing a tag-based review of the key tech media outlets (to avoid initial search bias), (c) reviewing the full list of publicly available academic studies that we have been able to compile internally and summarize the findings of each, and (d) not touching the reception section with a 10-foot pole! If there are any further measures that I can take, please let me know. — Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 18:56, 14 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

References

History section[edit]

Suggesting some changes to the History section. Since I'm in a COI, I'm not writing anything about the public reception or (beyond the fact that it exists) the v2 beta. More detail about those might be added, but not by me. I've also made sure not to exclude any negative sources along the course of my review.

The technology for Leap Motion was first developed in 2008, while co-founder David Holz was studying for a Ph.D. in mathematics.[1][2] Following an initial angel investment, Holz co-founded the company in 2010 with his childhood friend Michael Buckwald. The company raised a $1.3M seed financing round in June 2011 with investments from venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, and SOSventures, as well as several angel investors.[3] In May 2012, Leap Motion announced a $12.75M Series A funding round led by Highland Capital Partners.[4] In January 2013, Leap Motion announced a further series B round of funding for $30M.[5]

After operating in quiet since 2010, Leap Motion publicly announced its first product, originally called The Leap, on May 21, 2012. The company launched a software developer program in October 2012[6] and distributed roughly 12,000 units to developers interested in creating applications for the device. While the device was slated to launch in May 2013, full-scale shipping was later delayed until July.[7] In March 2014, it was reported in TechCrunch that roughly 500,000 units had been sold, far short of initial expectations; as a result, Leap Motion announced layoffs for 10 percent of its workforce, primarily in sales and marketing.[8]

In May 2014, Leap Motion released its version 2 software to developers in a public beta.[9][10][11]

Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 14:36, 15 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

That looks good. Do you know how to put the refs in place? I have no idea and very much want to do as little work as possible. I'd like to just copy and paste what you have. Thanks. I did do a little research for anything more recent and found that you needed to cut your work force back, so I'm glad that you included that. Gandydancer (talk) 23:12, 18 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Or perhaps I could copy/paste without refs and you could add them? Gandydancer (talk) 23:15, 18 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks; definitely appreciate your time and effort. I've bolstered the references a little bit (titles, authors, dates, etc.) so that they're not just a collection of URLs. If you copy the draft from the Edit page, the references will travel along with it, as they're embedded within the text using Wiki markup. If this approach works, then I'll make suggested drafts for the Airspace and partnerships sections next. — Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 17:17, 19 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
That worked! Gandydancer (talk) 19:14, 19 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Awesome! I noticed that the edit caused an undefined reference, as I failed to retain a name attribute; sorry about that! It seems to have been bot-fixed :) — Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 19:22, 19 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
All's well that ends well. :) Gandydancer (talk) 20:23, 19 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

References

  1. ^ Richardson, Nicole Marie (2013-05-28). "One Giant Leap for Mankind". Inc.com. Retrieved 2014-08-15. Holz began developing the software back in 2008 while he was studying for a Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Frustrated by the limitations of the mouse and keyboard, he spent nearly five years developing the cameras in the controller. By the time he paired up with Buckwald, a childhood friend and entrepreneur, Holz had a prototype. […]
  2. ^ Foster, Tom (2013-07-22). "Will These Guys Kill The Computer Interface As We Know It?". Popular Science. Retrieved 2014-08-15.
  3. ^ Tsotsis, Alexia (2011-06-10). "OcuSpec Raises 1.3M From Andreessen And Others To Build An "Affordable Kinect"". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2012-05-23. Stealth motion control startup OcuSpec has just raised a $1.3 million seed round from Andreesen Horowitz, Founders Fund, SOSventures International and angels Brian McClendon, Bill Warner and others. […] Leap Motion (previously OcuSpec)
  4. ^ "Leap Motion Announces $12.75 Million Series A Funding Round Led by Highland Capital Partners". Leap Motion. Marketwire. 2012-05-09. Retrieved 2012-05-23. Leap Motion, a San Francisco-based motion-control software company changing the future of human/computer interaction, today announced a $12.75 million Series A funding round led by Highland Capital Partners with participation from existing investors.
  5. ^ Kosner, Anthony (2013-12-06). "Leap Motion Announces $30M Series B Funding And Bundle Deal With ASUS Computers"". Forbed. Retrieved 2013-12-08. Leap Motion, the startup behind the revolutionary LEAP motion-control device, has secured an additional $30 million in Series B funding, and announced a partnership with ASUS to bundle its controllers with "new high-end notebooks and premium All-in-One PCs later this year."
  6. ^ Panzarino, Matthew (2012-10-29). "Leap Motion launches Software Developer Program and starts sending test units of its 3D controller". The Next Web. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
  7. ^ Etherington, Darrell (2013-05-25). "Leap Motion Controller Ship Date Delayed Until July 22, Due To A Need For A Larger, Longer Beta Test". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  8. ^ Etherington, Darrell (2014-03-20). "Leap Motion Lays Off 10% Of Its Workforce After Missing On First Year Sales Estimates". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  9. ^ Buckley, Sean (2014-05-28). "Leap Motion's latest motion tracking tech can see your joints". Engadget. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  10. ^ Moynihan, Tim (2014-05-28). "Leap Motion Adds More-Intricate Tracking to Its Amazing Controller". Wired. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  11. ^ Wing, Anthony (2014-05-29). "Leap Motion Hand Tracking Gets More Realistic To Solve Real World Problems". Forbes. Retrieved 2014-08-14.

Introductory section[edit]

Add the following to the end of the introductory paragraph: "The company’s tracking software supports Windows, Mac, and Linux, with tracking modes for PCs and head-mounted virtual reality applications."

Reason: I believe that this more fully reflects what the platform is, and how it's used.

Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 22:53, 18 June 2015 (UTC)  Not done Not a brochure, no evidence this would benefit the encyclopedia. Also, unsourced. Joseph2302 (talk) 00:13, 21 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

History section[edit]

Suggest adding the following to the history section, to bring it up to the present:

In August 2014, the company launched a VR tracking mode for its core software, designed to provide hand tracking while the device is mounted on virtual reality headsets such as the Oculus Rift.[1][2] Later that year, Leap Motion launched a global game jam in partnership with independent games festival IndieCade with over $75,000 in prizes.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page). The competition received over 150 submissions.[3]

In March 2015, it was announced that the upcoming OSVR Hacker Development Kit would include an optional faceplate with embedded Leap Motion module.[4]

NOTE: Earlier reports indicated that the OSVR HDK would begin pre-orders in May and shipping in June; this is no longer the case, as shipping is now beginning to select devs and slated to begin at a wider level into the summer. Didn’t think this was worth pulling into the article, but thought I’d mention it here.

Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 22:58, 18 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

August of what year? 2014? Joseph2302 (talk) 00:19, 21 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, 2014 -- should have made that clear. Sorry about that. — Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 01:56, 21 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Airspace section[edit]

Append another sentence to bring it up to the present; included a few examples that were mentioned in media reports:

By May 2014, the store had over 200 apps, including a Google Earth integration,[1][2] virtual clay sculpting app,[3][4] digital musical instrument,[5] and virtual reality demos.[6][7]

Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 23:02, 18 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

plus Added Joseph2302 (talk) 00:20, 21 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Partnerships section[edit]

I suggest merging the two tiny “Partnerships” sections into a slightly larger one for better reading flow. The following incorporates the existing text into a proposed single section, and updates some of the outdated information that was previously in the section.

In 2013, Leap Motion partnered with ASUS and Hewlett Packard, with ASUS shipping high-end notebooks and all-in-one PCs (AIO PCs) with the technology later that year.[1] In September, it was reported Leap Motion would be embedded into 11 HP devices; specifically, bundled keyboards and a laptop.[2][3][4]

Leap Motion has also formed retail partnerships with Best Buy, Newegg, and Amazon.com.[5] Leap Motion Controllers are sold by Dick Smith in Australia and New Zealand and SoftBank in Japan, as well as distributed in China by Digital China.[6][7][8][9]

NOTE: The cited Fast Company article opines that Leap Motion tech could potentially be seen as gimmicky. "There's a chance that consumers will see the technology as nothing more than a novelty," "there are simply more practical reasons not to use the device than there are to use it," and the technology is "not ready for prime time."

As I've mentioned elsewhere, I'm deliberately not going to touch questions of reception, but leave that to editors with no COI. Just highlighting here in case someone believes it belongs in the main article, as I noticed it wasn't in the Reception section.

Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 23:11, 18 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

 Done Merged the 2 paragraphs, makes sense. Joseph2302 (talk) 00:18, 21 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, what are your thoughts on updating the information in the paragraphs, as in the suggested edits? — Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 02:28, 21 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

References

  1. ^ "ASUS partners up with Leap Motion".
  2. ^ "Leap Motion seals HP deal to embed gesture control technology".
  3. ^ http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/06/hp-leap-motion-keyboard-standalone/
  4. ^ http://www.fastcompany.com/3017858/tech-forecast/if-leap-motion-isnt-careful-it-could-become-a-gimmick
  5. ^ Chacos, Brad (2013-12-06). "HP embeds Leap Motion gesture controller in 11 desktop and all-in-one PCs". PCWorld. Retrieved 2013-12-09. Leap Motion works on any computer, and you can buy the standalone hardware for $80 at Best Buy stores, or online at Newegg, Amazon, or Leap Motion's own website.
  6. ^ Catanzariti, Ross (2013-10-10). "LDick Smith to exclusively sell Leap Motion". ARN. Retrieved 2013-12-09. "Dick Smith has more than 270 retail stores, a presence in many high-profile David Jones stores and a popular online retail site, making it the perfect partner for Leap Motion to launch in Australia," he said.
  7. ^ Bell, Alan (2013-04-12). "Leap Motion 3D Controller Launches in NZ With Dick Smith". The Southland Times. Retrieved 2013-12-09. Leap Motion have announced the local release details for the Leap Motion 3D controller this morning, revealing the date that it will become available in New Zealand[...]the Leap Motion 3D Controller retails in New Zealand for $159, and can be pre-ordered online at dicksmith.co.nz.
  8. ^ http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=134190245
  9. ^ http://technode.com/2014/08/12/leap-motion-ceo-talks-big-plans-china-market/

Technology section[edit]

This section is the only place where I’ve felt compelled to add (two) first-party references, as I haven’t been able to find anywhere else that discusses the platform’s capabilities accurately.

To be clear, though, I’m not trying to puff it up -- quite the opposite. The page currently says a roughly hemispherical FOV, 300 FPS, and a meter of effective tracking range. All three of those are too high -- the FOV is 150 degrees, FPS up to 200, and the tracking range is closer to 0.6 meters. I believe in this case that Leap's documentation meets the requirements under Self-published and questionable sources as sources on themselves.

The Leap Motion Controller is a small USB peripheral device which is designed to be placed on a physical desktop, facing upward. It can also be mounted onto a virtual reality headset. Using two monochromatic IR cameras and three infrared LEDs, the device observes a roughly 150° field of view, to a distance of about 0.6 meters (2 feet).[1] The LEDs generate pattern-less IR light[2] and the cameras are capable of generating up to 200 frames per second of reflected data.[3] This is then sent through a USB cable to the host computer, where it is analyzed by the Leap Motion controller software using “complex maths” in a way that has not been disclosed by the company, synthesizing 3D position data by comparing the 2D frames generated by the two cameras.[4][5]

Leap Motion Controller

The smaller observation area and higher resolution of the device differentiates the product from the Kinect, which is more suitable for whole-body tracking in a space the size of a living room.[6] In a demonstration to CNET, The Leap was shown to perform tasks such as navigating a website, using pinch-to-zoom gestures on maps, high-precision drawing, and manipulating complex 3D data visualizations.[6]

Leap Motion CEO Michael Buckwald told CNET:

Leap Motion initially distributed thousands of units to developers who are interested in creating applications for the device. The Leap Motion controller was first shipped in July 2013.[7]

In 2014, Leap Motion announced a hardware prototype, dubbed Dragonfly, which features a wider field-of-view and higher resolution than the Leap Motion Controller. Designed to be embedded in virtual reality headsets, Dragonfly also includes the ability to provide full-color passthrough for augmented reality applications.[8][9][10] The company has also made raw image data from the controller available to developers, allowing the creation of augmented reality applications, as well as the ability to switch back and forth between infrared passthrough video and virtual reality.[11][12]

Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 23:22, 18 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done Regardless of what you say, this basically is a puff piece. "features a wider field-of-view and higher resolution than the Leap Motion Controller. Designed to be embedded in virtual reality headsets, Dragonfly also includes the ability to provide full-color passthrough for augmented reality applications"- overdetailed puff.
"Leap Motion CEO Michael Buckwald told CNET"- no-one cares what he said, Wikipedia cares what [[WP:RS|reliable sources say about the company. Joseph2302 (talk) 00:16, 21 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

""Leap Motion CEO Michael Buckwald told CNET"- no-one cares what he said, Wikipedia cares what [[WP:RS|reliable sources say about the company."
I'm inclined to agree, which is why I used strikethrough text. The page currently has "Leap Motion CEO Michael Buckwald told CNET" on there, but there's no quote to accompany it. Suggest cutting it (along with the bit about shipping, which is already covered in an earlier section) altogether.
Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 01:54, 21 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Also -- when I was referring to "puffery," it was with regard to changes I suggested in the first paragraph, where the hardware's capabilities are overstated. Even if Dragonfly doesn't warrant a mention, the first paragraph should still be revised. — Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 02:22, 21 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Developer Community section[edit]

Updated a bit; only included projects that had multiple media mentions and remain under active development.

In December 2013, Founders Fund and SOSVentures announced the Leap AXLR8R, a business accelerator for startups making innovative use of the Leap Motion Controller.[1][2] Projects emerging from the accelerator included Diplopia (now Vivid Vision), a tech startup using the Leap Motion Controller and Oculus Rift for lazy eye sufferers,[3][4][5] and MotionSavvy, which is developing a Leap Motion-equipped tablet case that can interpret American Sign Language.[6][7]

Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 23:26, 18 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

plus Added Joseph2302 (talk) 00:22, 21 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Post-Orion updates[edit]

Hi, I'm the head writer at Leap Motion, and would like to suggest changes to bring this article up to date. I've outlined suggested changes with sources and reasoning below.

Alex Colgan, head writer at Leap Motion, 17:55, 13 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Introduction[edit]

At the end of the introduction, add a new sentence:

In 2016, the company released new software designed for hand tracking in virtual reality.

Reason: The introduction doesn't reflect the device's role as a VR input device.

History[edit]

At the end of the third paragraph, add a new sentence:

A second competition in 2015 resulted in 189 entries.[1]

Reason: Follows up on the first game jam.

At the end of the fourth paragraph, add a new sentence:

In February 2016, Leap Motion released new software, called Orion, built specifically for VR.[2]

Reason: It's a major software release on par with the switch from V1 to V2.

Remove the [citation needed] tag in the third paragraph.

Reason: Everything in the sentence tagged with [citation needed] is covered by the source cited in the sentence that follows it.

From the Wiki page: "Later that year, Leap Motion launched a global game jam in partnership with independent games festival IndieCade with over $75,000 in prizes."

From the article: "Leap Motion is teaming up with IndieCade for a ‘3D Jam’ dev contest which utilizes the company’s motion controller. Leap recently released a ‘VR Mount’ for their motion controller which connects to the front of the Oculus Rift and the company is hoping to see VR-based and desktop submissions from developers pining for $75,000 in prizes. [...] If you don’t have access to the Leap Motion hardware, Leap and IndieCade are hosting nine ‘hardware hubs’ around the world for developers to get access to the motion controller and the VR mount for use with the Oculus Rift DK2. Those hubs will be in San Francisco, NYC, LA, Paris, Berlin, London, Shanghai, Edinburgh, and Toronto."[3]

Airspace[edit]

Move the paragraph from Airspace to the bottom of Developer Community, and delete the Airspace title altogether.

Reason: The Airspace section is a stub, and the paragraph flows better when included with other projects/use cases.

Delete the sentence and subsequent reference:

In November 2013, the LA Times reported that Airspace had reached 150 apps.

Reason: This figure seems redundant, considering that the next sentence has a more recent figure.

Technology[edit]

Revise Technology section; full version below with altered portions bolded.

The Leap Motion Controller is a small USB peripheral device which is designed to be placed on a physical desktop, facing upward. It can also be mounted onto a virtual reality headset. Using two monochromatic IR cameras and three infrared LEDs, the device observes a roughly hemispherical area, to a distance of about 1 meter. The LEDs generate pattern-less IR light[4] and the cameras generate almost 300 200 frames per second of reflected data.[5]

This is then sent through a USB cable to the host computer, where it is analyzed by the Leap Motion controller software using "complex maths" in a way that has not been disclosed by the company, in some way synthesizing 3D position data by comparing the 2D frames generated by the two cameras.[6][7] In a 2013 study, the overall average accuracy of the controller was shown to be 0.7 millimeters.[8]

The smaller observation area and higher resolution of the device differentiates the product from the Kinect, which is more suitable for whole-body tracking in a space the size of a living room.[9] In a demonstration to CNET, the Leap controller was shown to perform tasks such as navigating a website, using pinch-to-zoom gestures on maps, high-precision drawing, and manipulating complex 3D data visualizations.[9]

Leap Motion initially distributed thousands of units to developers who are interested in creating applications for the device. The Leap Motion Controller was first shipped in July 2013.[10] In February 2016, Leap Motion released a major beta update to its core software. Dubbed Orion, the software is designed for hand tracking in virtual reality.[11][12]

Reasons:

  • 300 FPS is unsourced and inaccurate. Note the addition of a documentation reference. I believe in this case that Leap's documentation meets the requirements under self-published and questionable sources as sources on themselves, especially where it's bringing down an outsized claim.
  • Cut the word 'controller' because it's redundant and excludes embedded modules.
  • Revised 'the Leap' to 'controller' for clarity.
  • Split into two paragraphs for readability.
  • Added an academic reference on accuracy.

Could also include 'The Orion beta works on the existing peripheral, and Leap Motion also announced that Orion hardware would be embedded in future VR headsets.' at the end of the last paragraph (before the references) if it doesn't come off as puffery.

Developer Community[edit]

Add the following paragraph to the bottom of the Developer Community section:

The Leap Motion Controller has also been used by surgeons and researchers for medical software,[13][14][15] automotive companies for concept cars,[16] and musicians for composition in Ableton Live.[17] In 2016, AltspaceVR added Leap Motion support to their online social platform.[18][19]

Reason: rounds out the section on real-world use cases with projects that have been featured in third-party media.

Sounds like this little company is coming along quite well! As I noted previously, this topic is far from my range of interests or abilities -- my interest was to try to do "my share" of the work we need to do to keep the encyclopedia free from using it as a cheap form of advertising and yet provide current, accurate information. Thanks to the editor that added the new information. I briefly went through it and it seems OK to me. Best, Gandy Gandydancer (talk) 02:39, 18 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
 Done by SBiegun. The edit does look good to me, but I am somewhat worried that SBiegun has not made any other contributions apart from the edits they made to this article. I'm leaving the edit in place, as it honestly looks OK to me though. —  crh 23  (Talk) 19:11, 23 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

References

  1. ^ Ridden, Paul (2015-11-13). "Lyra VR puts music synthesis within virtual reach". GizMag. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  2. ^ Feltham, Jamie (2016-02-17). "Leap Motion Announces Orion for Faster, More Accurate VR Hand Tracking". VRFocus. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  3. ^ Ben Lang. "Leap Motion '3D Jam' Dev Contest Offers $75k in Prizes for Leap-Based Experiences, Starts October 19th - Road to VR". Road to VR.
  4. ^ "Analysis of the Accuracy and Robustness of the Leap Motion Controller". PubMed Central.
  5. ^ "Controller Documentation".
  6. ^ "Observation Area".
  7. ^ An inside view of the Leap Motion controller.
  8. ^ "Analysis of the Accuracy and Robustness of the Leap Motion Controller". PubMed Central.
  9. ^ a b Terdiman, Daniel (2012-05-20). "Leap Motion: 3D hands-free motion control, unbound". Cutting Edge. cnet. Retrieved 2012-05-23. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |separator= (help)
  10. ^ Etherington, Darrell (2013-04-25). "Leap Motion Controller Ship Date Delayed Until July 22, Due To A Need For A Larger, Longer Beta Test". TechCrunch. AOL.
  11. ^ http://www.roadtovr.com/leap-motion-launches-overhauled-hand-tracking-engine-thats-made-for-vr/
  12. ^ http://www.engadget.com/2016/02/17/leap-motion-orion/
  13. ^ Hsu, Jeremy (2016-03-21). ""Minority Report" Tech Meets the Operating Room". Spectrum. IEEE. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  14. ^ "TedCas Integrates Leap Motion Controller with Medical Imaging Systems". TedCas. 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  15. ^ Rosa, Guillermo M.; Elizondo, MarÍa L. (2014). "Use of a gesture user interface as a touchless image navigation system in dental surgery: Case series report". Imaging Science in Dentistry. 44 (2): 155. doi:10.5624/isd.2014.44.2.155. ISSN 2233-7822.
  16. ^ Fingas, Jon (2015-01-05). "Mercedes-Benz unveils its vision of a self-driving car". EnGadget. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  17. ^ Vincent, James (2016-03-28). "Ableton's Connection Kit lets you make music with Lego and a banana: And Arduino, and Leap Motion, and littleBits, and more". The Verge. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  18. ^ Peñaflorida, Rexly (2016-04-05). "AltspaceVR Adds Full Oculus Rift Support (Update: Vive, Too)". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  19. ^ Stuart, Keith (2016-03-24). "Alone together: my weird morning in a virtual reality chatroom". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-04-13.

Acquisition attempts by Apple[edit]

Info about how apple failed to acquire leap motion twice should be added to the article. Here are some sources [1][2][3][4]. 344917661X (talk) 23:09, 13 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]