Ultraleap launches next-gen camera to complete the transition from touch to gesture

Ultraleap, the world leader in hand tracking and mid-air haptics technologies, launches their 3Di camera ahead of NRF Retail’s Big Show in New York. Designed specifically for Out-of-Home (OOH) and retail use cases, this camera complements Ultraleap’s TouchFree solution and enables easy integration for both retrofits and new kiosk designs.

Ultraleap’s TouchFree solution now comprises the new 3Di camera and the award winning TouchFree application, all powered by Ultraleap’s best-in-class fifth generation hand tracking software, Gemini.

Features of the Ultraleap 3Di camera:

• Wide field of view (FOV) supports landscape screens up to 42”
• Ultraleap 3Di’s increased range allows interaction with portrait screens up to 32”
• Faster initialisation means touchless screens are accessible to all and more intuitive
• High frame rate (90fps) means Ultraleap can power a full range of creative content and development
• Fully enclosed design provides ingress protection against the challenging environments typical of the industry

Saurabh Gupta, Product Director for OOH, said: “Using our knowledge of the market and our experience with partners, we’ve created an OOH-specific camera which makes the adoption and integration of touchless technology easy.”

Ultraleap’s TouchFree application was launched in October 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Ultraleap research showed that consumers in the UK (71%) and the US (74%) expected to interact with touchless technologies, such as gesture interfaces, in the future. In restaurants, would-be diners on both sides of the Atlantic said they would prefer touchless gesture ordering over other options like over the counter or mobile app.

Since then, the TouchFree solution has gone on to win three international awards and has been integrated by companies like Cortina, SimplyNuc, Intuiface and imageHOLDERS. Companies like Pepsi have also used Ultraleap’s technology to turn their quick-serve restaurant kiosks touchless.

Ultraleap will be showcasing the 3Di camera alongside the TouchFree system at NRF in the Innovation Lab – Booth #20. During the event, visitors will be able to experience 

• Touchless Product Explorer and Digital Wayfinder using TouchFree – Innovation Lab, Booth #20

Using a double-sided Acante kiosk fitted with two 3Di cameras, Ultraleap will showcase a product explorer demo made with Intuiface and a digital wayfinder

• Café kiosk using gesture control running on Qualcomm’s QCS8250 – Booth # 1411
  Touchless menu ordering that enables users to use hand gestures to order items, without needing to touch a screen
• Touchless check-out system with UST – booth #3944 & 3945

UST has integrated Ultraleap’s hand tracking and our award winning TouchFree application into their Vision Self Check-Out solution. Users can purchase products in various retail settings using a fully touchless purchase process.

Saurabh added: “Consumer behaviours and habits have evolved since the pandemic, and Qualcomm is at the forefront of developing the solutions that consumers now expect. Creating a touchless experience is one of the pillars Qualcomm have identified to drive novel customer experiences in physical retail.

“We are excited to jointly showcase with Qualcomm an intuitive, engaging, touchless, self-service experience running natively on the Qualcomm® QCS8250 processor during NRF, and looking forward to working together to bring new solutions to the retail industry.”