Mainstream gesture-based technology for digital signage may take another step forward with the introduction of the Leap, an iPod-sized 3-D motion control device that lets users control their computers by gesturing with their hands instead of using a keyboard or mouse and is slated for release this winter for a retail price of only $70.

David Holz, CTO, and Michael Buckwald, CEO, co-founders of San Francisco-based startup Leap Motion, claim the Leap is accurate to within 1/100 of a millimeter and 200 times more sensitive than existing motion-sensing technologies.

“The biggest thing that other technologies can’t do that we can, is track fingers and track them really accurately. Doing that requires deep, sub-millimeter tracking with multiple fingers and there’s just no other technology in the world that’s capable of doing that,” Buckwald said in an ABC News interview.

Though the device was designed for desktop and laptop computer displays, we wonder why it couldn’t be incorporated into place-based digital screens or kiosks, making them not only touch-free but also contamination-free.

We realize other touch-free technologies exist and are already in use on digital signage, but none of the devices we’ve seen is as compact as the Leap. We would also be surprised if  any of these technologies matches the Leap in price.

This article was reprinted with permission from the Digital Signage Connection and originally appeared here.