Today on the Leap Motion blog, we’ve featured 7 visual experiments created by our developer community. Last week, we caught up with creative developer Rom, who designed the interactive LED wall and architectural model in the videos below.

1. What inspired you to integrate physical models with the Leap Motion Controller?

The Leap Motion Controller allows users to interact with architectural models ‘organically,’ pointing out areas of interest as they would do naturally. Touchless or not, the beauty is that the user consults the detail of the model itself to source more information, not an iPad app or touchscreen. It makes for a truly intuitive input device, almost completely hidden away.

2. What are the advantages of this approach?

Being able to build a touchless system without a huge budget or timeframe is certainly a first.

A small but profound advantage is that the Leap Motion Controller passes coordinates in true distances, making it easy to accurately map the surface of a model in respect to the device. Just jot down the dimensions from the model’s CAD files and offset it against the Leap Motion Controller’s origin.

3. How do you imagine setups like this being used in the future?

It will most certainly open new business opportunities to retrofit older installations and projects with minimal adjustments/disruption. In terms of architectural models, it’s now the weapon of choice for smaller models (within the scope of the device’s Y-axis), especially for projects with a tight budget or future-hungry clients. An accompanying screen to display relevant information – and the project has all it needs.

While it’s not my line of work, I’d love to see people exploring real-time 3D graffiti and sculptures within LED matrices. The Leap Motion Controller has certainly opened a lot of doors – not just with lighting, but hardware in general.