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Mouse, keyboard, trackpad, most of these devices have been relegated to the realm of a specific function and extreme ergometry. They were required, and they will be required till eternity. In truth, only touchsreens and trackpads have arrived as appropriate alternatives. Yet, these popular devices aren’t good enough to replace the easy-to-get and inexpensive mouse. Some ground making devices like Leap Motion and Eye Tribe can satisfy your yearning for motion control. Both have their exclusive functions, benefits and drawbacks. So here is a Fullestop Review about Leap Motion and Eye Tribe.
Let’s first start with Leap Motion. The question is, what exactly the Leap Motion controller is and how does it work?
The miniscule device is as big as a USB flash drive, pretty handy to operate. There are two cameras and three infrared LEDs installed in the device which make it capable of tracking hand and finger movements in all dimensions. Connect the device with your computer using the USB cable provided with the device, and you are all set to use it. You additionally need Microsoft .Net 4.0 and XNA Framework 4.0 to operate.
When you start using the Leap Motion, you are asked to calibrate the device by pointing toward a shining surface and moving your finger around. The device is pretty strong, strong enough to detect very tiny movements (almost 1/100th of a millimetre) without any delay.
Ideally, the Leap Motion lets you rotate, pinch, zoom and move in all three dimensions. If you really want to test the calibre of this device, go try it with Google Maps. You will not feel any difficulty while moving your hands around. The real challenge appears when it comes to open an app, or clicking, in other words. To do so, you need to push your finger forward with a certain level of perfection. Theoretically, there is an invisible barrier or a wall that separates movements from actions.
The best part about Leap Motion is certainly its price. It is perhaps the most affordable motion sensor introduced so far. Paying $79.99 for this amazing gadget is not a bad deal.
And the next drawback is, a longer use of this device may cause neck strain and arm pain as you have to keep your hand moving in the air all the time.
And last but not the least, the way the controller sees your finger tips depends upon your finger being perpendicular to the screen and parallel with the table. You need a high level of expertise to maintain the proper arrangement of your fingers, and a slight misplacement may result to the device not identifying your instructions. And of course, pointing one finger means operating and pointing two fingers mean scrolling. So if your non-pointing finger moves out-of-the-blue and goes toward the screen, it will shunt you into scrolling mode or other similar chaos. Big annoyance.
At first sight, the Eye Tribe looks very potent, but you need the support of developers to use it to its extreme potential. Without the software, it is nothing but just a dead stick. Currently the device is available for the Windows users only.
There are some alternate motion sensors including the Leap Motion, Kinect and MYO, but an itch for eye-tracking is harder to scratch. Eye Tribe thus comes as a revolutionary product. And even if a device of this potential is available, you can’t find it for such a low price!
Simple, it tracks your eyes and figures out where you are looking at. Let’s take an example of advertisers, they can track which ads you look and for how long. Though it’s called “Eye Tribe” and theoretically it can be operated with eye-gaze only, you cannot go completely finger-free. There are some moments when you need to use your fingers to tap or open something.
Simply put, having an Eye Tribe with you means you can hold your tablet in one hand and a pizza in the other. Enjoy your pizza while browsing through various apps on your tablet.
The tracker uses ‘infrared illumination to create a pattern of reflections, which are used in our mathematical models to determine the point of gaze’, as explained on the Eye Tribe’s website. Therefore, the device works fine enough for various purposes such as playing games, eye-activated login and hands-free typing.
Both the devices do not fulfil all your requirements. So if not so necessary, no need to buy any of them. But if you get a choice to buy one of them, I would suggest going with the Eye Tribe. Though it costs more, but worth the amount you pay.
At first instance, the Leap Motion controller is something I want to fall in love with. However, you start hating it as you use it. For now, it’s more of a neat conceptual ‘toy’ and a nothing else.
Eye Tribe, on the other hand, solves all the issues that you had with Leap Motion. With its fast speed, superior functionality, easy usability and comfort, the winner of our debate is EYE TRIBE!!!
