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Tag: Kinect

  • Apple Might Buy The Team That Created The Kinect [Report]

    The hardware powering Microsoft’s Kinect technology was originally created by an Israeli tech firm called PrimeSense. Microsoft has moved on to its own in-house developed hardware, but new reports suggest Apple may now be interested in the firm’s hardware.

    Calcalist, an Israeli publication with a good track record, reports today that Apple is currently in talks with PrimeSense over whether or not it wants to purchase the company. If it does, it could signal that Apple is planning to integrate motion sensing tech into its next products.

    9to5Mac says that motion sensing tech from Apple isn’t entirely out of the question as the company has already submitted patents for gesture-based technology. It would most likely be used in the oft-rumored Apple TV or other hardware that would help Apple take over the living room.

    Apple has conquered the world of smartphones and tablets, but its current Apple TV hasn’t managed to really make a dent in the living room market share yet. Microsoft has way more experience in the space and its Xbox brand is synonymous with living room entertainment for a lot of people. By buying PrimeSense, Apple could be signaling that it’s finally serious about taking back some living room market share away from Microsoft.

    This is all merely conjecture based on unverified reports for now though. There’s good reason to believe that Apple is interested in acquiring PrimeSense, however, as Calcalist has been right regarding other acquisitions of Israeli companies in the past. It’s also not too hard to believe that Apple is finally preparing an assault on the living room.

  • Xbox Sale Day 2: Kinect, Board Games, and LEGO

    Yesterday, Xbox Live’s “Ultimate Game Sale” got off to a big start with hit AAA sequels such as Assassin’s Creed 3, Borderlands 2, Far Cry 3, and Max Payne 3 on sale for 63% to 75% off. Today the sale continues with several new titles taking the place of those games, though yesterday’s momentum seems to have slowed a bit.

    Today’s sale titles are Lego Lord of the Rings, Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes, Hasbro Family Game Night 3, Monopoly Streets, Kinect Sports 2, and Rockstar Table Tennis. The LEGO games are each 50% off, with Lord of the Rings selling for $15. Lego Batman 2, Family Game Night 3, Monopoly Streets, and Kinect Sports 2 are $10 each. Rockstar Table Tennis, which was released over seven years ago, is 80% off at $3.

    Though the LEGO games are every bit as good as most of the “blockbuster” titles that come out each year, it’s clear that today’s sale titles are a bit of a step down from Tuesdays. Still, Xbox 360 gamers shouldn’t despair. According to the preview list Microsoft released last week, games such as Crysis 3, Gears of War: Judgment, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Tomb Raider, X-COM: Enemy Unknown, and BioShock Infinite will all be on sale later this week.

  • Doodle Jump For Kinect Trailer Will Subvert Your Expectations

    Doodle Jump has torn up the mobile charts over the last few years with its simplistic gameplay and charming visuals. Now the developer at Lima Sky is trying its hand at the console space with an Xbox 360 version built for Kinect.

    Doodle Jump for Kinect is largely the same as its iOS predecessor, but it enjoys the benefits (or lack thereof) that come from motion controls. It also adds a number of new levels that are exclusive to this version of the game.

    On a final note, Doodle Jump for Kinect debuted with a brilliant trailer that subverts your expectations of what a Kinect trailer can be.

    That was pretty good, right? If you too want your very own home invasion, you can buy Doodle Jump for Kinect today for $5.

  • You Can Now Apply To Pay $400 For The New Kinect For Windows Sensor

    Microsoft is really onto something with the Kinect. Sure, it’s not that great for games, but developers are doing some amazing things with it in the application space. It’s only going to get more amazing next year as the new and improved Kinect comes to PC.

    At its annual BUILD developer conference, Microsoft announced that it’s opening up applications for preorders for the new Kinect for Windows sensor. It’s the very same Kinect that will ship with the Xbox One later this year so it has the improved camera that can reportedly detect heartbeats.

    The new Kinect for Windows sensor won’t be available until next year, but interested developers can get their hands on one this year. To do so, you must apply to take part in the Kinect for Windows developer kit program. If you are accepted, you’ll be given a chance to pay Microsoft $400 for the following:

  • Direct access to the Kinect for Windows engineering team via a private forum and exclusive webcasts
  • Early SDK access (alpha, beta, and any updates along the way to release)
  • Private access to all API and sample documentation
  • A pre-release/alpha sensor
  • A final, released sensor at launch

    • You could argue that $400 is a little too much for this, but you are getting two Kinect sensors. Granted, we don’t know how much the new Kinect will cost separately as Microsoft is packing one into every Xbox One sold. Those retail for $500, and the original Kinect retails for $150, so it stands to reason that the new Kinect will probably retail for $200. In short, you’re paying for two Kinect sensors – one for this year to start developing for and a final unit for next year.

    If the idea of developing for the next generation Kinect appeals to you, you can apply to the Kinect for Windows development kit program here. All applications must be turned in by July 31 and Microsoft will notify successful applicants in August. Those were accepted can expect to get their alpha Kinect sensor in November.

  • The Xbox One Gets The NMA Treatment

    The Xbox One reveal was kind of a mess. There’s still no definitive statement on the console’s used game policy, and its insistence on Kinect always being on has some people concerned. It’s the latter that gets torn apart in the latest report from our favorite Taiwanese animators.

    I’m kind of surprised that NMA didn’t mock the ambiguous used game policy, but I guess you can’t really make that funny. Besides, it’s more fun to make fun of the Xbox One’s overreliance on television.

    To compare, here’s NMA’s take on the PS4 unveiling back in February.

    Even with the numerous games announced for the platform at the event, NMA still wasn’t impressed. Can nothing appease them?

  • Germany, Australia Think The Xbox One Is An Orwellian Nightmare

    Much of the controversy surrounding the Xbox One thus far has been focused on its vague used game policy. Now another controversy may be brewing in countries with strong privacy laws.

    Gamasutra reports that both Germany and Australia have expressed concern over the new Kinect camera in the Xbox One. It’s been confirmed that the camera must be connected for the Xbox One to operate, and some fear this will lead to snooping for marketing purposes. Microsoft, of course, says it won’t be using it to violate privacy, but some aren’t so sure.

    Germany’s Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information Peter Schaar says that he needs to know if the Xbox One’s Kinect can store user information, and whether or not Microsoft can share that information with third parties. He goes so far to call the Xbox One and its potential to spy on living rooms a “twisted nightmare.” [Update: In the comments, Kenny tells us the statement from Schaar, when translated, merely says that he isn’t concerned about Microsoft spying on people via Kinect.]

    Civil Liberties Australia Director Tim Vines says that the Xbox One’s Kinect is a surveillance device under Australian law. As such, Microsoft will have to come forward and tell users who can access the information it collects. He also encourages Australians to skip out on the Xbox One if Microsoft doesn’t give users an option to turn off the Kinect camera.

    Germany and Australia aren’t exactly huge game markets, but it does show that people are uncomfortable with the idea of constantly being watched. Sony’s PS4 isn’t much better as it ships with its own camera, but the Japanese company hasn’t outlined an Orwellian surveillance regime in a patent application either.

  • Kinect Code Samples Go Open Source To Encourage Development

    Kinect for Windows has inspired developers to create some really impressive applications. That’s apparently not good enough, though, as Microsoft is now making Kinect for Windows partially open source to encourage more development on the platform.

    The Kinect for Windows team that its sample code is now open source under an Apache 2.0 license. The 22 samples are available in C#, C++ and Visual Basic.

    So, why go open source? The team says that there are four reasons for the move:

  • Easy Access -> we will continue to release our sample applications as part of our Developer Toolkit. However, that’s a large download & install that can be cumbersome if you just want to quickly view or access code on the web
  • Reuse The Code -> we’re releasing all the samples under an Apache 2.0 license so that you can take the code and reuse, remix, etc. Also, we’re using a Git repository so it’s easy clone & fork if you want
  • Get Feedback -> we will use CodePlex’s built-in feedback & discussion tools to get community input on the samples. We want to hear from you to understand what we can do better with the samples
  • Faster Updates -> we will be able to update samples more quickly on CodePlex (compared to Toolkit releases). CodePlex also has a “Subscribe” feature that enables you to follow the project and get notified when something changes, a bug gets fixed, someone says something smart in the discussions, etc.

    • The majority of the code will still remain proprietary, but the release of code samples should at least help push Kinect for Windows development into new areas. The sensor has already provided a number of unique applications, and developers being able to muck around with the code might yield even more interesting results.

    All of this news was posted on Microsoft’s new Kinect development blog. It will be kept separate from the regular Kinect for Windows blog, and will focus entirely on “going behind the scenes with the K4W engineering team and will go deeper on the technology and APIs, share tips & tricks, and provide other tidbits of information relevant to those building K4W applications.”

    [h/t: CNET]

  • Kinect Brings My Worst Nightmare To Life

    Kinect Brings My Worst Nightmare To Life

    It’s been well established that I’m scared of a lot of things. Dolls, E.T. and the eventual robot uprising all leave me wide awake at night. The good news is that my greatest fear has yet to be brought to life. The bad news is that Japan is working on it.

    A store in Japan had to ensure that I get no sleep tonight by creating this interactive store display that combines Microsoft’s Kinect for Windows and display window mannequins for a shopping experience straight out of hell.

    I thought Japan couldn’t get any scarier, but holy sh*t, this is terrifying.

    [h/t: Next at Microsoft]

  • Next Generation Kinect To Have Higher Resolution, Larger Viewing Field [Rumor]

    Microsoft’s Kinect was a pretty revolutionary piece of technology. It’s unfortunate that many of the games released for it have turned out to be so bad. That may not change with the rumored next generation Kinect, but the technology is definitely getting a major upgrade.

    VGLeaks, the source behind the recent next Xbox and PS4 specs leak, comes the latest round of leaks concerning Microsoft’s next generation Kinect hardware. We already know that the next Xbox may require Kinect to be plugged in at all times, but this latest rumor gets into the nitty gritty details of the hardware.

    According to the rumor, here’s what we can expect from the next generation Kinect hardware:

  • Improved field of view results in much larger play space.
  • RGB stream is higher quality and higher resolution.
  • Depth stream is much higher resolution and able to resolve much smaller objects.
  • Higher depth stream accuracy enables separating objects in close depth proximity.
  • Higher depth stream accuracy captures depth curvature around edges better.
  • Active infrared (IR) stream permits lighting independent processing and feature recognition.
  • End to end pipeline latency is improved by 33 ms.

    • The field of view for the next Kinect has been increased to 70 inches by 60 inches. That’s a pretty sizable increase from 57.5 inches by 43.5 inches. The resolution has been increased from 640×480 to 1920×1080. The latency has also been decreased from 90 ms to 60 ms.

    All in all, the next Kinect is a substantial upgrade in pretty much every respect. Games utilizing the technology will be able to detect more limited range of movements, and capture more parts of the body. The original Kinect was going to have finger tracking, and that feature may come back in the newest Kinect hardware.

    Of course, all of this is rumor for now. We won’t know anything for sure until Microsoft lifts the veil on its next generation console. The PS4 will be unveiled tonight, however, so Microsoft better show its hand sooner than later.

  • Over 76 Million Xbox 360 Consoles Have Been Sold

    The announcement of Sony’s next-generation PlayStation 4 console is less than two weeks away. Though the announcement of Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox isn’t expected until the E3 conference in June, the company this week released some numbers that show just where the company stands as the industry prepares for the next generation of consoles.

    Microsoft claims it has sold more than 76 million Xbox 360 consoles. In addition, 24 million Kinect sensors have been sold to those Xbox owners.

    Microsoft also released information and statements that make it clear the company is eyeing more than just video games. Expect the next Microsoft console to be a complete home multimedia device, with connectivity to multiple services and devices.

    “Yes, we started with video games, but we have been on a journey to make Xbox the center of every household’s entertainment,” said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of Microsoft Interactive Entertainment.

    According to Microsoft, Xbox users watched and played 18 billion hours of entertainment last year. Usage of apps on the Xbox also grew 57%, which isn’t surprising considering the number of apps that were added in 2012.

    The catch is that using these services isn’t free on an Xbox – an Xbox LIVE Gold subscription is required to access multiplayer gaming, Netflix Watch Instantly, Amazon Instant Video, and more. Subscriptions to Xbox LIVE now stand at 46 million. Considering that subscriptions start at $5 per month, Microsoft is taking in over $230 million per month for things that Sony’s PlayStation 3 provides consumers with for free.

    “We believe that Xbox is being used by more people in the household, during more hours in the day and for more forms of entertainment,” said Mehdi. “People are using Xbox in the morning to work out with the Kinect Nike+ Fitness program, kids are watching cartoons, families are enjoying movies, and of course people are playing blockbuster games like Halo 4.”

  • Next Xbox Requires Kinect, Will Always Be Watching You [Rumor]

    Microsoft caused a small panic a while back when it patented a method that would allow it to determine how many people were in a room at any given time. It would presumably use the Kinect camera to block movies from playing if more people were present than what the film license allowed. It’s super creepy, and it may just show up in the next Xbox.

    Kotaku scrounged up some more details on the next Xbox from the guy who tried to sell a Durango development kit last year. He reveals more fascinating details on the console, including the above patent being put to use in the latest Kinect hardware.

    The latest round of rumors confirm once again that Microsoft will be shipping Kinect as a standard peripheral with the next Xbox. The hardware has also been greatly improved to feature better tracking, and can now detect up to six people at once. Better hardware is always good, but Microsoft may be taking Kinect into dangerous territory with its next iteration.

    The rumors claim that the next Xbox won’t even operate unless the Kinect hardware is plugged in and calibrated. The camera will also always be watching you as it’s on to perhaps implement the aforementioned patent, or provide some new gameplay innovation that we can’t even fathom yet. The new Kinect will also reportedly be able to track individual finger movements and detect facial expressions which makes it even creepier.

    Getting away from Kinect, the rumors also reveal that the next Xbox will require every game to be installed on the console’s 500GB HDD. It’s a nice step up from the 20GB HDD the original Xbox 360 launched with, but it has the potential to quickly fill due to next-gen Xbox games shipping on dual-layer Blu-ray discs.

    The most interesting part about this particular rumor, however, is how the games will install. Unlike the current Xbox 360, you won’t have to wait for the game to install before you start playing. The console can immediately start playing the game while installing it in the background. That’s an incredibly useful feature and will hopefully be present across both the next Xbox and the PS4.

    The rumors also address the new controller and how the next Xbox will handle multi-tasking. First, the controller will be a “natural evolution” of the Xbox 360’s celebrated gamepad, but you won’t be able to use the Xbox 360’s gamepad on the new console as Microsoft is using a new proprietary wireless technology.

    As for multitasking, the console can pause a game and let a user access social media or other content while the game remains paused. Users can also suspend games, save their progress in local memory, and jump into a second game without having to actually save within the title. Such functionality has been sorely lacking in current generation consoles, and will hopefully be standard across Microsoft’s and Sony’s machines.

    Finally, the specs released by this newest source match up with the specs released by VGLeaks a few weeks ago. The next Xbox will feature an eight core CPU clocked at 1.6GHz, 8GB of RAM, a D3D11 capable GPU clocked at 800MHz, and built in Wi-Fi.

    It’s important to note that most, if not all of this, is purely rumor for now. The source seems legitimate, but it could all turn out to be bunk. If this is true, however, I fear for Microsoft’s next-generation console. The requirement of Kinect always being on combined with an anti-used game online DRM solution would make the next Xbox a very anti-consumer device that would deservedly be trounced at retail.

    For all our sake, let’s hope the next Xbox keeps the upgraded specs, but ditches the anti-consumer Orwellian tech.

  • Next Xbox To Feature Greatly Improved Speech Recognition [Rumor]

    Despite being one of the coolest features in Kinect, its voice recognition software was often overlooked in favor of arm waving shenanigans. That may not be the case with the next Xbox as Microsoft is rumored to be greatly expanding the software with new features and functionality.

    The Verge reports that the next Xbox “will support wake on voice, natural language controls, and speech-to-text.” The current Kinect can only recognize simple speech patterns that are pre-programmed into the software. The next Xbox will greatly expand this to include natural interaction – the kind of voice recognition that you see in Apple’s Siri and other similar software.

    So, what does this mean for games? The Verge uses the example of a user being able to ask the Xbox, “What are my friends playing?” and the system would immediately bring up the player’s friend list. Other examples include the user being able to ask questions with the system returning a relevant answer, no doubt provided by Bing.

    The real advantage here is if more games started supporting voice commands or interactions. The current Kinect’s voice sensor has only been used in a small selection of games, most notably Mass Effect 3. It would be far more interesting if something like Peter Molyneux’s ill-fated Project Milo were to launch on the next Xbox featuring natural interaction with an on-screen character.

    This rumor is just the latest to hit the net in regards to Microsoft’s next console. Just yesterday, a rumor came out saying that the next Xbox would feature an anti-used game system in the form of always online DRM. The console’s specs, which paint the system as being fairly powerful, has also been leaked.

  • Smartphones Will Soon Be Equipped With Their Own “Kinect”

    You may not who PrimeSense is, but you definitely know the company’s products. The Israel-based company produces the sensors used in Microsoft’s Kinect full-body motion controller. Now the company is working to bring that same technology to smartphones.

    PrimeSense recently announced that its motion sensing technology for mobile phones has shrunk enough to be able to fit comfortably into mobile devices. The hardware is called Capri 1.25, and features a number of enhancements over the past versions of the technology.

    Capri 1.25 is 3D sensing technology at its heart, and as such, will be judged by its ability to scan the environment around it. The latest hardware has the following features:

  • Field of View 57.5×45
  • Range 0.8m-3.5m
  • VGA depth map (640×480)
  • USB2.0 powered
  • Standard off the shelf components
  • OpenNI compliant

    • All of the above technical information may not mean much to you, so here’s a video that shows what PrimeSense’s technology may be capable of in the near future:

    Will the Capri 1.25 be able to do all that right now? Of course not, but PrimeSense obviously thinks that 3D motion tracking is the future. They think it will be in everything from smartphones to store displays.

    Speaking of smartphones, we may start seeing the technology appearing in mobile devices later this year. PrimeSense says the chipset will be available in mid to late 2013 for those who able to buy 100,000 chipsets annually.

    [h/t: Fast Company Design]

  • Microsoft’s IllumiRoom Takes Gaming Beyond the Edge of the TV Screen

    Microsoft’s IllumiRoom Takes Gaming Beyond the Edge of the TV Screen

    Microsoft Research, Microsoft’s department for experimental computer science projects, has unveiled the “IllumiRoom,” a projector system that extends the action in video games beyond the edge of the TV screen. What’s most impressive about it is that it doesn’t require a flat white background to work properly. Microsoft is currently demoing the project at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). From the Microsoft Research website:

    IllumiRoom is a proof-of-concept Microsoft Research project designed to push the boundary of living room immersive entertainment by blending our virtual and physical worlds with projected visualizations. The effects in the video are rendered in real time and are captured live — not special effects added in post processing.

    The system uses a Kinect for Windows camera and a projector to create the effects seen in the video below. It scans the geometry of a room using the Kinect, then uses its measurements to adapt its projected visuals “in real-time without any need to custom pre-process the graphics.” Microsoft claims the feature can extend the field of view beyond the TV, change the appearance of a room, or induce apparent motion.

    It sounds silly, yes, but give the video a look. This is the sort of impressive technology that gamers should hope is part of the next generation of console hardware. Also, it may very well be a precursor to the holodeck-style gaming experiences of the future.

  • Dead Space 3 Ad Pushes Kinect Features

    More than a few Dead Space fans are uneasy about the inclusion of co-op gameplay in Dead Space 3. Though Visceral Games seems to have come up with an interesting conceit for the feature (one of the characters will hallucinate and see different things throughout the game) it still feels like the type of feature the publisher, EA might force on the developer. The Resident Evil series began sliding toward bad reviews at the same time co-op was introduced, so it’s a valid concern for fans that the lonely, tension-filled Isaac-versus-all-the-necromorphs gameplay of Dead Space might be changed with the inclusion of a sidekick.

    The immersion might be broken even more if players decide to use their Kinect with the game, and it appears the developers know it. EA today released another video that touts the Kinect commands for Dead Space 3. Using the microphone on the Kinect allows players to trade gear, heal a partner, reload a weapon, or do several other things that normally require the push of a button.

    The video tries hard to make it seem as if voice commands will make the gameplay easier, and it actually might be easier in the specific case of trading inventory with a co-op partner. However, it’s hard to see why saying “use stasis” or “reload weapon” would be easier than tapping a controller button. The Kinect commands for Skyrim that allowed for real-life dragon shouts might have been fun for a few minutes, but screaming anything other than startled surprise at the TV during a Dead Space play session seems very silly.

  • New Dead Space 3 Kinect Support Details Released

    New Dead Space 3 Kinect Support Details Released

    Last week it was announced that Dead Space 3 will be getting Kinect integration for the Xbox 360. This is in addition to the drop-in, drop-out co-op multiplayer that will be present throughout the game, completely shifting from the lonely, fearful tone set by the near-solitude of the first two games in the series.

    Whether these features were natural expansions of the series’ gameplay or mandates handed down by a social gaming-focused EA, it’s caused plenty of concern among fans that Dead Space may be going the way of the Resident Evil series and abandoning the very things that made it popular.

    The Kinect support, though, isn’t going to ruin a gaming experience. Gamers won’t have to wave their own limbs at their screen to de-limb necromorphs. Instead, through voice commands players will be able use items, switch weapons, or exchange equipment with their co-op partner.

    In a new promotional interview video released by EA, Visceral Games’ Executive Producer Steve Papoutsis states that “reload” and “roll” will be voice commands, among others. There isn’t much more info provided, though the video does provide a good look at the action in Dead Space 3 through clips. Forewarning: it also contains dubstep.

    Two interesting trivia facts are revealed, though. Papoutsis states that Visceral had considered including a Kinect-specific achievement for swearing. The developer also considered using the Kinect to take photos of the player at the moment of Dead Space 3‘s inevitable jump scares. That sounds like the best use of the Kinect yet devised, though the potential for abuse of such a feature is obviously high.

  • Microsoft Patents Orwellian Tech For Kinect

    The Kinect has been a huge success for Microsoft since it was introduced in 2010. The games might not be the best, but Microsoft may have other plans in store for the camera.

    A recent patent filed by Microsoft would allow the Kinect camera to detect how many people are in the room at a time. As of now, the actual camera can only support two simultaneous players, but it can still register the number of people present. It doesn’t sound that bad until you read the patent’s description:

    The technology, briefly described, is a content presentation system and method allowing content providers to regulate the presentation of content on a per-user-view basis. Content is distributed to consuming devices, such as televisions, set-top boxes and digital displays, with an associated license option on the number of individual consumers or viewers allowed to consume the content. The limitation may comprise a number of user views, a number of user views over time, a number of simultaneous user views, views tied to user identities, views limited to user age or any variation or combination thereof, all tied to the number of actual content consumers allowed to view the content. Consumers are presented with a content selection and a choice of licenses allowing consumption of the content. In one embodiment, a license manager on the consuming device or on a content providers system manages license usage and content consumption. The users consuming the content on a display device are monitored so that if the number of user-views licensed is exceeded, remedial action may be taken.

    In short, Microsoft wants to turn the Kinect into DRM. The technology would allow rights holders to implement software into its media that could restrict viewings based on the number of people present. For example, let’s say that Star Wars Episode VII, when it comes out, has a maximum viewer allotment of five people. If the Kinect or other camera detects that more than five people are present, the movie would not play until you payed an extra fee to allow more viewers.

    It’s funny – we complain about big media companies not evolving with technology. That’s not necessarily true. We expect these companies to evolve with technology in a way that’s consumer friendly and makes it easier for us, the consumers, to access content. In reality, big media companies are using technology to make it harder for consumers to enjoy content while simultaneously bleeding more money out of well-intentioned consumers.

    It’s important to note that this is just a patent for now. Microsoft has not made any mention of implementing the software, and the current Kinect hardware isn’t exactly powerful enough to handle it. The Xbox 720 is apparently getting an upgraded Kinect, however, so you never know if Microsoft will turn its next home console into Big Brother’s technology of choice.

    [h/t: Kotaku]

  • Kinect Fusion Brings 3D Modeling To Kinect For Windows

    Kinect For Windows is one of Microsoft’s best projects to date. It’s a bit gimmicky and not that great for games, but it’s been amazing for app developers on the PC. Back in September, a developer created an email system for his mother who suffered from aphasia after a stroke. Now Microsoft is adding a new tool that will inspire a whole new range of applications.

    At BUILD 2012, Microsoft announced that Kinect Fusion will be coming to Kinect For Windows. Kinect Fusion is software that creates a 3D model of an object, or even the environment, in the Kinect sensor’s view. The tool can be used for any number of applications, from augmented reality to 3D printing.

    So how does it all work? Chris White, Senior Program Manager on Kinect for Windows explains:

    Kinect Fusion takes the incoming depth data from the Kinect for Windows sensor and uses the sequence of frames to build a highly detailed 3-D map of objects or environments. The tool then averages the readings over hundreds or thousands of frames to achieve more detail than would be possible from just one reading. This allows Kinect Fusion to gather and incorporate data not viewable from any single view point. Among other things, it enables 3-D object model reconstruction, 3-D augmented reality, and 3-D measurements.

    The team making Kinect Fusion uploaded a video back in August that shows off the tech. As far as Kinect goes, it’s really impressive.

    Kinect Fusion will be available in a future release of the Kinect for Windows SDK. It will be interesting to see what new applications developers will build with the technology.

    [Image Source]

  • Microsoft’s Next Kinect May Feature Finger Tracking

    It was rumored that the original Xbox 360 Kinect would feature finger tracking. The feature was obviously absent from the original accessory’s launch, but there’s still hope that a future iteration of the device could provide the kind of precision that would make finger gesture-based games possible. Microsoft is already working on such a motion capture device right now, but it’s not being used for games.

    Microsoft researchers are currently attending the User Interface Software and Technology symposium to show off their newest creation – Digits. It’s a wrist-worn gloveless sensor that accurately tracks finger movements with little to no lag. It’s no Kinect, but the technology used is even more impressive than Microsoft’s initial foray into motion capture technology.

    Interestingly enough, the Kinect is what inspired the team at Microsoft to create Digits. They wanted to create “natural 3D interactions with bare hands,” but the Kinect presented a few limitations. For one, it wasn’t mobile. It’s also lacks the incredible detail required to track separate fingers as they move independently of each other.

    To solve this problem, the team created a wrist-mounted device that uses an infrared camera and a laser to accurately pinpoint where fingers are moving on a hand. The device looks to be a little clunky for now, but the results are already amazing. Check out this tech demo from Microsoft Research:

    The most amazing use of this technology so far is the manipulation of a smartphone without having to actually see or touch it. It’s always annoying when I have to bust out my smartphone to switch out music tracks when walking. This technology would literally reduce the action to something as simple as snapping your fingers.

    We’ll probably never see this technology in its current form. It’s a crude prototype that lacks the finesse and style of modern electronic design. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft implemented something like this in future versions of Kinect, Windows PCs and other devices.

  • Just Dance 4 Receives Its First Review From Conan O’Brien

    It has been scientifically proven that Conan O’Brien is the greatest game critic of our time. He has single-handedly delivered criticisms of some of the biggest games of our age. Until now, however, he’s been playing what gamers consider to be core games. What happens when he takes on a casual game that might be more his speed?

    This week’s game is Just Dance 4, the latest in Ubisoft’s popular dancing series. Conan is joined by US Soccer gold medalist Alex Morgan in attempting to master the art of dancing. Needless to say, Conan is a terrible dancer. He did, however, almost win Morgan’s gold medal in the final dance off.

    Conan and Morgan agree that the game is fun. Conan, however, reveals that he’s just like the rest of us non-Olympians – he’s way out of shape. I can testify that the Just Dance series requires more physical exertion than the actual act of dancing. He’s a trooper for having to dance to “Call Me Maybe” and “The Final Countdown.”

    Like always, Conan delivers a hard hitting score. This time, he’s rating the game on a scale of 55 to nine with 55 being good and nine being excellent. In the end, he gives the game a score of somewhere in the 11 zone.

  • Son Of The Year Gives His Mom Her Ability To Communicate Back

    The Kinect has proven to be a favorite among hackers. When paired with a PC (or Mac), it can be used for a multitude of hands-free computing that wasn’t possible before. One guy used it to give the power of communication back to his mother after she suffered a stroke.

    Chad Ruble’s mother suffers aphasia after she suffered a stroke some years prior. Since then, she hasn’t been able to use a keyboard due to her inability to recognize letters. Obviously, it has impacted her ability to send her son, and other people, emails or other messages over the Internet. Her son found a simple and elegant solution that owes its success to the Kinect.

    As you can see, the interface includes a number of emoticons with corresponding bars to indicate the level of that emotion. Through this, his mother can send simple messages that tell him and others how she is feeling at the time.

    Ruble plans on adding more functionality to the app soon with more emotions and messages. He’s also working on spacing the emoticons so that his mother won’t accidentally switch emotions while she’s heading to push the send button.

    It’s these kind of stories that make hackathons truly worth it. It’s all about creating technology and software that can be used to further the advancement and betterment of mankind. Technology continues to improve so that we may reap the benefits and help those who need it most. Giving the ability to communicate through text to somebody who hasn’t been able to for the past 12 years is pretty special.

    [h/t: TechCrunch]