Microsoft announced Thursday that the Kinect for Windows SDK is now available as a free download via Microsoft Research, which will allow developers to create new uses for the motion-based system beyond gaming.
The SDK includes drivers, APIs, device interfaces, installer documents, and resource materials for developers who build applications with C++, C#, or Visual Basic by using Microsoft Visual Studio 2010.
Microsoft first announced plans for a Kinect SDK in February. "The community that has blossomed since the launch of Kinect for Xbox 360 in November shows the breadth of invention and depth of imagination possible when people have access to ground-breaking technology," Steve Clayton, Microsoft storyteller, said at the time. "Already, researchers, academics and enthusiasts are thinking through what's next in natural and intuitive technology."
Specifically, Microsoft said the SDK includes features like: raw sensor streams; skeletal tracking; advanced audio capabilities; sample code and documentation; and easy installation.
The sensor streams come from the depth sensor, color camera sensor, and four-element microphone array and lets developers build upon the low-level streams that are generated by the Kinect sensor. Skeletal tracking, meanwhile, allows for the tracking of one or two people moving within the Kinect field of view make it easy to create gesture-driven applications. Audio capabilities include acoustic noise suppression and echo cancellation, beam formation to identify the current sound source, and integration with the Windows speech recognition API.
Microsoft promised more than 100 pages of technical documentation with detailed walkthroughs. The company also said that the 100MB SDK will install without any complex configuration and be up and running in a matter of minutes with a standalone Kinect sensor.
This SDK is designed for non-commercial uses; a commercial version is expected at a later date, Microsoft said.
At E3 last week, Microsoft announced a raft of new Xbox games, including new installments of "Halo," "Call of Duty 3," and "Tomb Raider," as well as a Kinect-enhanced Disneyland game.
For more, see PCMag's full review of the Kinect and the slideshow below.