Leap Motion Announces Deal with HP for Gesture Controls in HP PCs

Leap Motion has a very impressive motion control scheme to its credit. So impressive, in fact, that a major PC manufacturer has taken a shine to the control system and intends to put it in operation inside its lineup of PCs.

The manufacturer in question is none other than HP, and the combination of HP and Leap Motion may well spell a whole new era for both firms.

The Leap Motion system has drawn quite a bit of attention in recent days for its ability to track motion from all 10 fingers a human can bring to bear, facilitating incredibly precise gesture controls. The first application of Leap Motion controls is said to be for entertainment and gaming.

The PCs packing Leap Motion will start showing up by summer, Miller elaborated, and the current Leap Motion Controller will not only be sold as part of a package, but separately for those who want to get their computer in on Kinect-style action with surprising precision.

There's even slated to be an app store stuffed with applications specifically for the Leap Motion system.

While for the time being, the Leap Motion system will focus on gaming and entertainment applications, it’s not likely to stay the case for long. Andy Miller, president of Leap Motion, talked up partnerships in auto manufacturing as well as in medical firms, making it clear that "Leap Motion is not a toy," or so he reportedly told the BBC.

Interestingly, Miller – a former Apple employee – described how testing had already been done with Leap Motion in the medical community, but that one key possibility seems to be out of the picture for the time being: a partnership with Apple.

Miller described Apple as "not big in partnering and playing nice with the field and creating relationships," though expressed some hope that things might prove different under Tim Cook's leadership. HP, however, was "much more aggressive and made us a great deal," so it was clear why Leap Motion is showing up with HP computers first.

HP's fate in the computer industry has been somewhat shaky of late, with more consumers moving toward tablets and mobile devices. That leaves a smaller overall pool of potential customers and a lot of brands tooling up to offer enterprise users a specific experience, going after one of the biggest remaining pots of PC users out there.

So to see HP make a play for a unique control scheme is a smart idea, offering users a tablet-style control experience with a lot more power behind it than many tablets can muster. The portability is lost, of course, but there are still some users who will follow along based on power.

It's a valid strategy – offer an experience few others do – but whether or not it will ultimately work for HP remains to be seen. HP is clearly not taking things lying down, though, and that's a clear point in its favor. So for those who may be in the market for a new PC but want a little more tablet-style experience with added power, the new Leap Motion line of HP devices should be arriving soon.