Google endorses Leap Motion with latest version of Google Earth

Google said the latest version of Google Earth will allow users to navigate their way through the 3-D map using hand gestures, giving a strong vote of confidence for Leap Motion’s technology.

As seen in the video above, users can control Google Earth 7.1 using Leap Motion’s “motion-sensor” control, which works like Microsoft’s Kinect device for the Xbox 360.

Leap Motion is set to begin selling it in stores next month. The San Francisco company last year unveiled the technology in a series of YouTube videos that drew rave reviews.

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The company has made deals with HP and Asus to include the motion control with their computers, but receiving support from Google is the clearest sign yet that the tech industry is willing to embrace the company’s technology.

“Our mission at Leap Motion is to provide a fundamentally better computing experience that frees people to create and explore the digital world in new ways,” Leap Motion co-founder and CEO Michael Buckwald said Monday in a statement.

Buckwald added that the company has already amassed a community of more than 10,000 developers, and they are among the few who are getting to test out Leap Motion with Google Earth prior to motion control’s launch next month.

“When we ship soon, we’re excited to see what new explorations people leap into,” he in a statement.

The motion control will be available in stores for $79.99 or can be pre-ordered online now for the same price plus $8.99 for shipping.

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