I purchased one of the first LeapMotion devices, and I was not terribly impressed with the performance and returned it. Not sure whether the IP has much value with Google's Soli [1] project seeming to be further ahead.
For what it's worth, the performance improved quite a bit with subsequent firmware updates. It was quite a remarkable device that impressed anyone I let try it, but finding a mass-market use-case proved impossible. They tried to pivot to VR, but it was very late. I think going after the consumer market (with an app store to be filled with games) was a mistake. Easy to say in hindsight, of course.
> the performance improved quite a bit with subsequent firmware updates.
But it didn't improve enough to be useful for anything practical. The most useful thing I could make it do reliably was detect swiping your hand left and right. I was really hoping I could use it as a mouse replacement on laptops, but accurately tracking individual finger placement never materialized.
That's too bad. I do hope someone continues to develop immersive AR rather than the AR/VR split we have how. ML should have been iterating on a platform and improvements to speed, FoV, etc. Feel sorry for the employees who really believed they would change the world. Note to self: be cautious of companies with 'magic' in name or operating in isolation.
Oh thanks Sorry. I remember them too the air fingers. Also a great idea. The latency and sometimes loss of virtual digits was quirky but I did have hopes it would get incorporared into a VR hmd. 30m is better than bust.
[1] https://atap.google.com/soli/