|
#REDIRECT [[Leap Motion]]
{{Short description|American entrepreneur}}
<!-- Please do not remove or change this AfD message until the discussion has been closed. -->
{{AfDM|page=Michael Buckwald (2nd nomination)|year=2024|month=June|day=21|substed=yes|origtag=afdx|help=off}}
<!-- End of AfD message, feel free to edit beyond this point -->
'''Michael Buckwald''' is an American entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO at [[Torch (company)|Torch]], and co-founder of [[Leap Motion]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Sharma |first1=Prof (Dr ) P. B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EhmoCgAAQBAJ&dq=michael+buckwald&pg=PA119 |title=Making Innovations Happen (National Innovation Conclave, NIC 2015) |last2=Banerjee |first2=Prof (Dr ) Padmakali |last3=Dudeja |first3=Prof (Dr ) Jai Paul |last4=Singh |first4=Prof (Dr ) Priti |last5=Brajpuriya |first5=Dr Ranjeet K. |date=2015-10-01 |publisher=Allied Publishers |isbn=978-81-8424-999-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Matney |first=Lucas |date=2019-05-31 |title=Once poised to kill the mouse and keyboard, Leap Motion plays its final hand |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/30/once-poised-to-kill-the-mouse-and-keyboard-leap-motion-plays-its-final-hand/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pascoal |first=Daniel |date=2013-02-27 |title=Leap Motion : le contrôleur arrive au mois de mai |url=https://www.cnetfrance.fr/news/leap-motion-le-controleur-arrive-au-mois-de-mai-39787706.htm |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=CNET France |language=fr-FR}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=C. Baig |first=Edward |date=March 9, 2013 |title=SXSW: Leap Motion lets you control PC with a gesture |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2013/03/09/leap-motion-sxsw/1975699/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref> Buckwald is listed in the [[Forbes 30 Under 30]] (USA) in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michael Buckwald |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/michael-buckwald/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-02-17 |title=Leap Motion introduces amazing Orion hand-tracking for virtual reality |url=https://venturebeat.com/business/leap-motion-introduces-amazing-orion-hand-tracking-for-virtual-reality/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=2013-07-22 |title=Leap Motion: Touchless tech wants to take control |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-23366059 |access-date=2024-06-20 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
{{Rcat shell|
== Education ==
{{R to related topic}}
Buckwald pursued his higher education at [[George Washington University]]. He attended the university from 2006 to 2009 and participated in the [[North American Debating Championship]] and the [[APDA National Debating Championship|APDA National Debate Championship]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Michael Buckwald |url=https://techonomy.com/person/michael-buckwald/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Techonomy |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Michael Buckwald Biography {{!}} Booking Info for Speaking Engagements |url=https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/celebritytalentbios/Michael+Buckwald/411676 |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=www.allamericanspeakers.com}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Foster |first=Tom |date=2013-07-22 |title=Will These Guys Kill The Computer Interface As We Know It? |url=https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-07/will-these-guys-kill-computer-interface-we-know-it/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Popular Science |language=en-US}}</ref>
}}
== Career ==
By the time he earned his bachelor's degree from [[George Washington University]], he was already CEO of Zazuba.com, the business appointment service he launched while he was an undergraduate.<ref name=":3" /> Zazuba.com was acquired in 2010 according to [[Techcrunch|TechCrunch]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tsotsis |first=Alexia |date=2010-09-15 |title=Zazuba, An OpenTable For Everything Else |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/09/15/zazuba/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> He spent a year in [[Madagascar]], setting up operations for [[One Laptop per Child]] program, a non-profit initiative established with the goal of transforming education for children around the world.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Educating the World's Kids One Laptop at a Time {{!}} ClarkNet, the Clark School of Engineering Administrative Web Portal |url=https://clarknet.eng.umd.edu/news/news_story.php?id=4509 |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=clarknet.eng.umd.edu}}</ref>
In 2010, according to the Wall Street Journal, Buckwald, together, with a friend from middle school in Florida David Holz,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vascellaro |first=Jessica E. |date=2012-05-21 |title=Gesture-Based Computer Controls Could Make Mouse Obsolete |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303879604577412550939856014.html |access-date=2024-06-20 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> founded [[Leap Motion]]<ref name=":1" /> (formerly known as ''OcuSpec''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tsotsis |first=Alexia |date=2011-06-10 |title=OcuSpec Raises $1.3M From Andreessen And Others To Build 'Affordable Kinect' |url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/06/10/ocuspec-raises-1-3m-from-andreessen-and-others-to-build-an-affordable-kinect/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref>), a former American company that manufactured and marketed a computer hardware sensor device that supports hand and finger motions as input, analogous to a mouse, but requires no hand contact or touching.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Control Virtual Reality With Your Hands, Thanks to Leap Motion |url=https://futurism.com/control-virtual-reality-with-your-hands-thanks-to-leap-motion |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Futurism|date=29 November 2016 }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Buckwald was the chief executive and co-founder there.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pierce |first=David |date=2018-09-30 |title=The QWERTY Days Are Almost Over |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-qwerty-days-are-almost-over-1538312400 |access-date=2024-06-20 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bernard |first=Kif Leswing, Zoë |title=How one of Silicon Valley's hottest startups of the last 5 years blew a deal with Apple — twice |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-leap-motion-acquisition-talks-fell-through-2018-10 |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref> They designed Leap Motion Controller,<ref>{{Cite web |title=T-Mobile Is Raising Prices on Some of Its Older Plans, Starting With Your Next Bill |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/t-mobile-is-raising-prices-on-some-of-its-older-plans-starting-with-your-next-bill/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=CNET |language=en}}</ref> a gadget that allowed users to control computers and devices by waving hands, without using a mouse, keyboard or touch pad.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bernard |first=Kif Leswing, Zoë |title=Leap Motion, a $94 million startup, has lost its VP of design as the company moves offices to cut costs |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/leap-motion-loses-vp-of-design-as-company-moves-offices-to-cut-costs-2018-10 |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-18 |title=The Engadget Interview: Leap Motion CEO Michael Buckwald |url=https://www.engadget.com/2013-03-11-leap-motion-michael-buckwald-interview.html |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Engadget |language=en-US}}</ref> With the rise of VR, Leap Motion began to be used with head-mounted displays (HMDs), requiring it to be mounted on the front of the HMD for optimal performance.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Murray |first=Jeff W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2v8nDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22michael+buckwald%22+leap+motion&pg=PT42 |title=Building Virtual Reality with Unity and Steam VR |date=2017-06-14 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-315-30545-5 |language=en}}</ref> In 2013 Buckwald announced a deal between Leap Motion and Asus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leap Motion motion control tech to be bundled with Asus PCs |url=https://www.cnet.com/science/leap-motion-motion-control-tech-to-be-bundled-with-asus-pcs/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=CNET |language=en}}</ref> The company raised over $130m of venture capital funding and was sold to the British company Ultrahaptics in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Media |first=Insider |date=2019-09-19 |title=Rebrand for Ultrahaptics and Leap Motion |url=https://www.insidermedia.com/news/south-west/rebrand-for-ultrahaptics-and-leap-motion |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Insider Media Ltd |language=en}}</ref> The new company was rebranded under the new name ''Ultraleap.''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wortham |first=Jenna |date=2013-03-07 |title=At an Annual Tech Show, It's Hardware's Turn in the Spotlight |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/08/technology/its-the-hardwares-turn-in-the-spotlight.html |access-date=2024-06-20 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Covert |first=Adrian |date=2013-07-24 |title=Control your PC with a wave of your hand |url=https://money.cnn.com/2013/07/24/technology/innovation/leap-motion/index.html |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=CNNMoney}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Leap Motion's 'Touchless' Tech Future |url=https://www.cnbc.com/video/2013/06/27/leap-motions-touchless-tech-future.html |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=CNBC |date=27 June 2013 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Basulto |first=Dominic |date=2012-05-28 |title=Is this the Web's great Leap forward? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/post/is-this-the-webs-great-leap-forward/2012/05/28/gJQAqT8dwU_blog.html |access-date=2024-06-20 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2020 in San Francisco, Buckwald co-founded Torch, a technology company which designed sensors for early detection of outdoor fires.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Richardson |first=Rick |date=2023-04-14 |title=Solar Sensors Detect Wildfires Early, Saving Lives, Money |url=https://cpatrendlines.com/2023/04/14/solar-sensors-detect-wildfires-early-saving-lives-money/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=CPA Trendlines |language=en}}</ref>
In 2013, [[Time (magazine)|Time Magazine]] highlighted Michael Buckwald, CEO of Leap Motion, for his work in 3D motion control technology. Buckwald believes Leap Motion, which tracks finger motions in 3D, could revolutionize PC interactions. Leap Motion expanded its app store, Airspace, and partnered with Asus and HP, with HP embedding the technology in future products. The company is also working on Android support. Despite early challenges, Buckwald focuses on building a robust business and collaborating with NASA and robotics companies.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Newman |first=Jared |date=2013-07-23 |title=Leap Motion CEO Talks About Android Support and Making Apps Better |url=https://techland.time.com/2013/07/23/leap-motion-ceo-talks-about-android-support-and-making-apps-better/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |magazine=Time |language=en-US |issn=0040-781X}}</ref>
== Further reading ==
* Jeff W Murray, ''Building Virtual Reality with Unity and SteamVR'' (2017, [[CRC Press]], 276 pages) {{ISBN|9780367271305}}
* Nicole Cammorata, ''Words You Should Know 2013: The 201 Words from Science, Politics, Technology, and Pop Culture That Will Change Your Life This Year'' (2012, [[Simon & Schuster|Adams Media]]) {{ISBN|9781440556418}}
* Rari Avora, ''Making Innovations Happen'' (2015, Allied Publishers Pvt Limited. 344 page) {{ISBN|9780670088492}}
== References ==
<references />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buckwald, Michael}}
[[Category:American businesspeople]]
[[Category:American chief executives]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:George Washington University alumni]]
|