Are you ready to take your #FirstLeap with us, starting now? Leap Motion™ has just launched, opening the setup page to download our software and making the Airspace™ Store public. You can check it out here to discover more than 75 apps currently available.

When you start exploring, take a photo or video of yourself using the device, tweet about it, blog about it, or post it to Facebook or YouTube with #FirstLeap. We’re excited to see and hear about everyone’s first experience with Leap Motion, and we’ll be collecting your feedback to share with our amazing supporters around the world. Thank you.

We’re honored that you’re a part of our vision and our new, growing community.

Our official press release:

Leap Motion Launches World’s Most Accurate 3D Motion Control Technology for Computing

Airspace Store Offers 75 New Apps for Leap Motion to Let People Create, Explore, Play and More

Today people around the world take their first leap with Leap Motion™, the motion-control software and hardware company changing the future of human-computer interaction. The company launched its software today, allowing people to control their computers with natural hand and finger movements. It also opened Airspace™, the discovery platform for people to buy, download and launch apps built for Leap Motion’s 3D interaction. Hundreds of thousands of people pre-ordered the $79.99 Leap Motion Controller, which the company began shipping last week.

At launch, the Airspace Store contains more than 75 applications built by developers in more than 20 countries. The wide range of free and paid apps across many categories allows people to create, explore, play, learn and more through new immersive experiences. The Airspace Store will continue to grow as the large Leap Motion developer community brings more applications to keep expanding the many uses of 3D motion control. Anyone can browse Airspace at https://www.leapmotiontechnology.com.

“Today marks a tremendous milestone for the company, but we’re just getting started,” said Leap Motion co-founder and CEO Michael Buckwald. “Leap Motion enhances the computing experience to allow people to do things in new and better ways, and we’re committed to breaking down the barriers between people and technology to make the future more easily accessible.”

The Leap Motion Controller retails for $79.99, and can be ordered at https://www.leapmotiontechnology.com. Beginning July 28, Leap Motion Controllers will be available in Best Buy stores across the United States. It is also available in the UK from Amazon.co.uk. Partnerships with Asus and HP to respectively bundle and embed Leap Motion’s technology into select computers, as well as expected retail distribution outside the US and UK, will further expand Leap Motion’s reach.

The Leap Motion Controller works with computers running Mac OS X 10.7 or 10.8, or Windows 7 or 8. It requires a minimum Intel Core™ i3 or AMD Phenom™ II processor, 2 GB RAM and a USB 2.0 port.

The Leap Motion Controller launches tomorrow, and last week we began shipping early. We’re sending hundreds of thousands of devices to more than 150 countries around the world. Due to the high volume, we’re still processing pre-orders for shipping. We’re working to get everyone their devices as quickly as possible, and we won’t rest until the last package is delivered.

We appreciate everyone’s eagerness to take their #FirstLeap with us at launch, and regret the inconvenience if you experience a slight delay. We will keep you posted on our progress. We’re working hard to get your pre-orders to you.

Over the past few days, we’ve heard lots of questions from our community about how we’re processing and shipping our pre-orders. Here are four common questions:

When will my credit card be charged?

You’ll be charged only when your pre-order is ready to ship. Our partner, ModusLink, is authorizing the credit cards, so you should expect to see “ModusLink” on your account statement. We will be in touch if any issues arise during billing.

My card has been charged, but I haven’t received a shipping confirmation. How can I find out when my device will arrive?

We’re working to let everyone know when their devices are estimated to arrive. We’ll send you an email after your pre-order is fully processed and ready to ship from one of our warehouses. If your card has been charged, you will be getting a device.

Where is the Leap Motion Controller shipping from?

We have three distribution centers located in strategic points around the globe. North and South America are covered by a warehouse in Nashville, TN, while Asia Pacific countries receive their devices from a Singapore warehouse. We ship to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa from a center in Brno, Czech Republic.

I’ve received my device early. When will I be able to use it?

Leap Motion launches July 22. We’re releasing the software on Monday so that everyone can take their #FirstLeap at the same time.

Last week, we showed you a preview of the Leap Motion experience, including Airspace Home and Airspace Store. Today, we’re taking a closer look at some of the amazing apps that you’ll soon be able to use with your Leap Motion Controller. When we launch on Monday, we’ll have about 75 apps – both free and paid – in the store.

When you enter the Airspace Store, you’ll see our home tile page. If you’d like to filter, you can scroll to the bottom and select to see all free apps, all Windows apps, all Mac apps, or sort by content category. This is only the beginning – we’ll be adding new apps and categories as our developers build them.

There’s something for everyone on Airspace – from educational games and immersive visualizer apps to powerful utilities and scientific wonders. Here are just a few highlights that you’ll soon be able to experience first-hand.

Unleash your inner artist with apps that open new possibilities for creative expression, digital art, musical performance, and visual presentations. Create captivating compositions with Corel Painter Freestyle or manage your photos with Unbound for Mac.

Enhance your photos to make detailed masterpieces or minimally affected compositions with DecoSketch, the geometric effects and drawing suite for professionals and hobbyists. Featuring a diverse collection of brushes and presets, it’s available for Windows and Mac.

Get into the groove with Leap Motion music and entertainment apps. Create your own electronic music with versatile apps like Geco and Chordion Conductor, or master the rhythmic arts with fast-paced beats and exotic visuals in amazing titles like Dropchord, Beat Bash, and Octorhythm.

Intuitively reach in to control track playback, audio effects, and looping with Swoosh for Mac – an iTunes performance companion that simulates vinyl control with that vintage pitch sound.

Starting Monday, you can count your way from caterpillar to butterfly with TVOKids Caterpillar Count and think fast about categories with Sortee.

Explore animal sounds, practice counting, and even play the piano with Curious Kids for Mac and Windows. Beautiful colors, intuitive motions and appealing graphics will entertain and educate for hours.

With an amazing variety of titles, Airspace has delightfully imaginative games for everyone to play and enjoy. Some games, like Cut the Rope and Puddle, cover familiar territory in new ways. Others like Block54, LICHT little adventure, and Boom Ball take you into bold, immersive worlds.

Acquire and tame unimaginable power, defeat the corrupt, and seek the truth in Out of the Blocks for Mac and Windows.

3D interactive utilities offer new and better ways to perform everyday tasks. Present pictures with simple gestures using Agatha for Windows and download OS interaction apps.

Log into your computer with a simple wave of your hand. By using the measurements of your hand, Unlock creates touch-free biometric authentication for Windows PCs.

From the subatomic to the galactic, science apps for the Leap Motion Controller allow you to reach out and grasp the mysteries of our universe. Explore the wonders of the human hand with Powers of Minus Ten, or dissect and assemble a human skull with Cyber Science - Motion.

Hold a 3D molecule in the palm of your hand with Molecules for OSX. This open-source molecular visualizer is available for free on Airspace.

Push the boundaries of 3D interaction with brand new experiences you’ve never seen before. Create stunning visuals with VIZ.it and Beautiful Chaos.

Harness your creative powers with Lotus, a mind-altering audioreactive experience. Free for Windows and Mac, it has 4 interactive musical toys and an amazing, dynamically created soundtrack.

There are only 3 more days until the Leap Motion Controller begins arriving at doorsteps around the world. Once you’ve set up your device, what will be your #FirstLeap?

We’ll begin shipping pre-orders of the Leap Motion Controller this week, with delivery to begin July 22.

Before we ship, our billing partner, ModusLink, has begun authorizing credit cards. By the end of the week, our pre-order customers will be billed for their order. The charge will be seen as ModusLink for Leap Motion (or some potential variation depending on your bank).

Just as ModusLink began processing credit cards, we discovered that some people who placed an order for more than one device were erroneously authorized (but not charged) for a higher amount than their final total. ModusLink and Leap Motion have been working to resolve the issue, and we’re reaching out to everyone impacted. No one will be charged for more than the correct amount, and your credit card details are safe.

To US pre-order customers seeing a variation in their final charge vs. their pre-order confirmation email, this is likely attributed to sales tax. In the United States, we charge sales tax for sales to states where we or ModusLink, our billing partner, are required to collect it. This is just under half of the US states. If you have any outstanding questions, please contact support@leapmotion.com.

Once credit cards are fully processed for the correct amount, we’ll send a shipping confirmation for you to track your order and look forward to getting your Leap Motion Controller.

If you have any questions or issues due to the temporary authorization, please contact order-support@leapmotion.com. We’ll work with you to resolve the issues as best as we can.

The Leap Motion hardware is deceptively simple – two infrared cameras and three LEDs, encased in a shell of glass and aluminum. However, as Leap Motion industrial designer Kyle Hay showed on our blog, our hardware is really a labor of love and years of development. We recently asked three of our hardware engineers about their work, experiences, and vision for the future of Leap Motion technology.

1. What excites you about the possibilities of 3D interaction?

Sam: I love the fact that our goal is to release this device into the wild and let customers and developers drive where the technology goes. We have ideas on how our technology will be used, but none of us really knows what use-cases customers will call for, and what developers will come up with.

2. What inspires you most about the Leap Motion Controller’s design?

Neeloy: Its simplicity. If anyone were to take one apart, he/she would find that the hardware is actually very simple. There’s nothing new or cutting-edge in the electronics. We’re just using old technology in a configuration that happens to allow us to track objects with sub-millimeter accuracy. Of course, we have plans to use newer, more cutting-edge hardware in the future to further improve the technology, but it’s inspiring to think about the amazing things you can do with the technology that is already out there.

3. What’s the greatest challenge you’ve overcome while working on the hardware?

Neeloy: The greatest challenge was to manage such a large hardware build with just the few people we have in our startup. Each person definitely put in the long hours, and did the job of what would be 10 people at any other company. Also, success would not have been possible without support from outside companies, and we really had to leverage the possibilities of the technology to get that support.

4. Now that the final hardware design is in place, what’s your next step?

Justin: Our next step is to make it cheaper and more robust, efficient, and reliable. We’re working on improving and expanding its manufacturing capabilities and reach. And we’re looking at embedded modules in laptops and other devices, a sequel to the current device, and perhaps other new tech.

5. What are your favorite applications for the Leap Motion Controller?

Justin: My favorite applications for the Leap Motion Controller are ones that allow me to have a creative output. Geco is my favorite “creative" app right now, as it has allowed me to easily combine my hobbies – music production, piano, and DJ – with my background in hardware design.

Sam: I’m not much of a gamer, but I do like Boom Ball, Sugar Rush, and Vitrun Air. I’m really looking forward to seeing the device integrated into CAD tools for more natural computer modeling interfaces, but I think the best applications will be the ones we haven’t even thought of yet.

6. What’s your vision for the future of human-computer interaction?

Sam: That’s hard to say. The mouse has been around for decades, and the keyboard has been around since the 1800s. I just think there’s got to be a better, more intuitive way for people to interact with their computers, and I’m hoping the Leap Motion Controller – or what it evolves into – will provide the solution.

Justin: My vision is a perfectly seamless experience – there should be no interface.

Neeloy: Forms of interaction that happen instantaneously with the least amount of effort from the user – blurring the barrier between the user and the technology. Instead of having to consciously think about what gesture to do, or which buttons to click, the user should just think about what he/she wants to do and be able to do it.

7. Why do you work at Leap Motion?

Justin: I finally have the chance to work on a product that I’ve been passionate about for a very long time. For me, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with an extremely intelligent group of people who have a chance to make a lasting impact on the entire world.

Justin Schunick is a hardware engineer, Sam Gordon is a hardware and firmware engineer, and Neeloy Roy is an electrical engineer. They’re all part of our superstar hardware team at Leap Motion.

In less than 2 weeks we’re shipping the Leap Motion Controller to more than 150 countries around the world. Amy Purvis, our Supply Chain Coordinator, has been a huge part of the Leap Motion team as one of our first 10 employees.

Although she’s always moving full steam ahead, Amy took some time this week to answer a few questions about getting the Leap Motion Controller out to the world. She also shared some photos she took from a visit to one of our distribution centers.

Where are Leap Motion’s warehouses, and where do they ship?

Our distribution center in Brno, Czech Republic, ships to the EU, Middle East, and Africa. They assemble around 7,000 boxes per day. Our warehouse in Nashville, TN ships to North and South America, and they assemble 12,000 boxes per day. In Singapore, our warehouse ships to Asia Pacific and averages about 6,000 boxes per day. We’ve had all our centers assembling boxes for weeks to be ready for July 22 and beyond.

Why can’t we ship to some countries?

Some countries are particularly tricky to ship to – due to customs, carrier, currency, or regulation issues. We want to ensure the customer has a seamless, easy delivery of their Leap Motion Controller, and thus we have to restrict our country list. Our logistics team is working hard to find solutions and partners to help bring Leap Motion to every country in the world.

What are the estimated times for arrival in each country?

First-wave shipments in all countries will arrive the week of July 22. Specific times will depend on customs and distance from our warehouse. When we ship and charge your card, we’ll provide tracking information for you to follow your order.

What’s it like seeing the Leap Motion Controller on assembly lines across the world?

I’m always amazed at how efficient the process is, and it keeps getting better. Most of our boxes are hand-wrapped, and everything is put into the boxes manually. We rarely use a machine. Thousands of boxes are assembled from every distribution center daily – all by hand.

You visit the warehouse in (let’s say) Brno, and…?

We jump right into quality audits. We select 64 units randomly and inspect them for any defects. We look at everything. We inspect every box, how they’re wrapped and folded, how they open and close, the quality of the corners. We make sure cables are folded just right, stickers placed properly on the device, the documentation is correct, plastic film is clean, and the box isn’t smudged.

When the Leap Motion Controller ships worldwide later this month, Airspace is the first place you’ll go to find the latest 3D interactive apps. Here’s a quick preview of what to expect once you’ve installed your new device.

Airspace Home

Airspace Home is the place where you can discover, buy, download, and launch Leap Motion apps. From your desktop, it displays every app downloaded and installed from the Airspace Store. It also shows other applications on your computer that support Leap Motion’s software (such as Google Earth).

Airspace Store

The Airspace Store is a website that you can access from Airspace Home, or directly on the web, starting July 22. The Airspace Store is the best place to find apps specifically designed or optimized for the Leap Motion Controller. It features both free and paid apps, starting at 99 cents.

Thanks to our amazing developer community, you’ll soon be able to reach into a variety of unique 3D interactive apps, with categories including:

• creative tools
• games
• education/learning
• music & entertainment
• news & weather
• plugins
• productivity & utilities
• science

Airspace Apps

With the Leap Motion Controller and apps from Airspace, you can play games, create, learn, listen to music, access news feeds, explore the universe – we have so many wonderful things in store. Many of the apps work for both Mac and Windows, but some are single platform – developers choose. Here are just a few examples of what you’ll see in Airspace soon.

Above: Deco Sketch, Geco, Block 54, Boom Ball, Molecules, Puddle

In the Airspace Store, every app will have a preview page that includes a synopsis, plus pictures and video when available. You’ll also see user reviews and background information on the developer.

What sorts of 3D interactive apps are you most excited to see later this month?

Today, we’re happy to announce our Developer Portal is open to the world. Anyone can now register for free as a Leap Motion developer to gain full access to the Leap Motion SDK and become a member of our developer community.

We’ve always felt that an open and accessible developer community would be the best way for our technology to make an impact on the world. With just over two weeks until our global launch on July 22, we’re thrilled to welcome any and all developers who want to create software for 3D interaction. There’s no charge for being a member of our developer community and getting access to our SDK.

When new developers enter the Developer Portal for the first time, they’ll find a wide variety of resources, including:

• SDK for Windows 7 and 8, Mac OSX 10.7 and higher, and Ubuntu Linux 12.04 LTS and Ubuntu 13.04 Raring Ringtail
• Full API libraries for JavaScript, C#, C++, Java, Python, Objective-C and support for Unity3D
• UX guidelines, knowledge base, tutorials and sample code
• Developer Labs – a blog highlighting our latest projects and insights into the future of 3D interaction

Over the next few weeks, new developers will be able to hit the ground running by planning software requirements, reviewing our documentation, and striking up conversations with fellow developers. We have an amazing community on our forums, with great discussions and open collaborations where developers are working together to push the boundaries of touchless 3D interaction.

We begin shipping the Leap Motion Controller worldwide on July 22, so new developers won’t have long to wait before they can start building and refining their applications with the hardware. When their apps are ready, developers can submit them for review, with the aim of being featured on Airspace.

If you haven’t pre-ordered your device, don’t worry – you still have until 11:59 pm PST on July 7 to ensure that you’re part of our first shipping wave. To join our developer community, sign up as a Leap Motion developer.

Hello everyone. We’ve heard many questions in relation to the shipping information email we sent to our pre-order customers yesterday. If you have not opened that email, please do so as there is important information related to shipping your Leap Motion Controller next month.

A majority of you have successfully checked, validated and/or updated your information. Thank you for taking a moment to verify your order.

But for the people that have reported issues, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We’re working hard to get back to you through customer support as soon as possible, but it make take longer than usual. In the meantime, we wanted to provide an update and answers to some frequently asked questions. And if you’re trying to update through your phone or tablet, please try your computer instead.

We appreciate your patience and support.

1. The link to update my information is not working.

• Please go to https://www.leapmotiontechnology.com/preorder/new#
• Click “Update an existing pre-order" at the top of the page
• Enter the confirmation # in the email you just received
• You will then be sent an email with a new confirmation link

2. I input my billing information, and am still getting an error message.

• We have resolved the issue that generated this error for some customers. Please try one more time to update your billing information with the credit card you wish to use. We apologize for the inconvenience.

3. I got an email that you are missing my first and last name – why is that information missing?

• Our system needs to verify the information in those fields as we need to confirm the correct name in order to ensure shipping. Please check your order information and update if needed. Our apologies for the inconvenience.

4. I got a message that my order’s missing information, but when I check I don’t see anything wrong. What do I do?

• If you got an email that doesn’t list specific areas to update, please check that everything is fine. We wanted to remind you to double check in case you moved, wanted to use a different card or needed to update your order in any other way.
• If our email listed specific items to update, but they appear to be in order when you check, please confirm the details are correct on our pre-order page, anyway.

5. Why is my final total different?

• When you placed a pre-order, we said the shipping was an estimate and we would also charge applicable import fees and taxes. Your current information reflects the final cost Leap Motion will charge when we ship your pre-order.

6. How can I be sure my information is actually correct in the system?

• Once you have successfully updated your information, you should see a screen like below. You can also double check your information at any time by following the instructions in #1.

As we get ready to ship the Leap Motion Controller out to the world in July, we’re making sure each one goes to the right place. Things might have changed since you placed your pre-order — maybe you’ve moved, or maybe your payment information has changed or expired. We don’t want anything to keep you from getting your device next month.

Today, we began sending out an email to everyone who has pre-ordered a Leap Motion Controller to verify order details. If you’ve pre-ordered yours, please review your information and make any required changes. You can also visit www.leapmotion.com, enter your order number, and make sure your order details are correct. That way, we’ll be able to ship your device without a problem.

If you have changes to your address or payment details, please update your account by July 2 so we can include your order in our first round of shipping. Remember, we’ll only charge your credit card when we ship your device.

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