[h4]Kinect for Windows SDK beta launches, wants PC users to get a move on
[/h4]We've been waiting for confirmation on
yesterday's rumor, about Microsoft's motion-sensing Xbox 360 peripheral coming to PCs, and now we have it. MS has just now released a software development kit (SDK) for Windows that will allow .Net developers to write Kinecting apps in C++, C#, or VB. We spoke with some developer representatives from the company to get the full details, including just what you can and can't do with this big bundle of libraries. Follow us after the break for all the info.
At this point the SDK is effectively a straight-port of the same libs that are currently available to Xbox 360 developers. Built on XNA, the Kinect library is standalone, so you won't necessarily need to rely on DirectX being present. The SDK gives full access to everything the peripheral has to offer, including both cameras (VGA and depth-sensing) and the full microphone array. The former can identify up to six individuals or track the full skeletons for two, while the latter can handle advanced echo-cancellation and even sound triangulation.
To get the full skeleton tracking you're going to need the same sort of setup as on the Xbox 360 -- namely a largeish space in front of your computer for you to stand in and plenty of light. But, developers will be able to extract raw data from both cameras should they like, so in theory someone should be able to write an app that works with a Kinect sitting on your desk and looks for simple gestures from you, even if you're seated in a chair. That's our ideal scenario: hand-waving recognition in productivity apps to bridge the gap between mousing and multitouching.
To that end, Microsoft isn't confirming any plans to integrate Kinect compatibility with any of its major apps (alas, no jazz-hand formula creation in Excel), but the company's own coders are said to have their "juices flowing" thinking of ways to integrate the tech. Hopefully those creative fluids ooze their way right into the heart of
Windows 8.
