ErikaSzabo
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One year ago today, Microsoft released one of the most revolutionary devices on the market: the Kinect. Changing the way we interact with games and entertainment, this motion-control peripheral became a gaming phenomenon overnight as sales immediately soared. And while it has taken some time for the Kinect to develop into what it is today, you can't deny the vast improvements it has undergone so far. Not to mention, embarassing you in front of all your friends as you flail frantically in front of your television, but that's something else altogether.
Of course, the Kinect has not reached its full potential quite yet, but it has already come a long way. In fact, we wouldn't have expanded our knowledge of motion-control technology without it. Look at Microsoft Research's recent work on interactive, holographic 3D environment called Holodesk where a Kinect is utilized in order to create interactive holograms. At the same time, look at the phenomenon knows as the "Kinect Effect" where a diverse group of hobbyists and academics from around the world embraced the peripheral's possibilities and began developing creative and innovative applications used in healthcare, education, arts and more.
The Kinect Effect
Findings like these could have never occurred if it wasn't for careful and creative experimentation with the existing peripheral. So, while Kinect is sometimes a little rough around the edges, it is well on its way to becoming a revolutionary tool in video games and beyond.
To commemorate the anniversary of the Kinect, Xbox 360 has announced that the Kinect for Windows commercial program will be launched early next year. This revolutionary program will give businesses the tools to develop applications that could help improve their own projects and potentially revolutionizing entire industries with motion-control technology. So far, more than 200 businesses worldwide have joined the pilot program and are wholeheartedly exploring the vast potential of Kinect.
This brings Kinect one step closer to its goals. While these goals may have, at one point, seemed unattainable the "Kinect Effect", Kinect for Windows pilot program and the Holodesk have proven otherwise. The possibilities are boundless, so why not jump in?
Microsoft Research's Holodesk - Direct 3D Interactions
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