Develop Kinect

Early adopters of the new Kinect hardware will have the opportunity to purchase the device before it officially goes on sale. For $399 you'll get a pre-production model, the SDK as well as the consumer-level version when it becomes available.

Kinect related projects that involve Processing and Arduino are always so damn cool! Take for instance this latest demo by P&A LAB. They sought out to develop a tracking system that would control a light source by either turning it on/off or dimming the light. They've set up their rig to include some LED lights that represent the amount of dimming that would occur if this product were actually in use. The video shows a linear actuator move according to the gestures used in order to control the amount of dimming the light source would receive.

The new Kinect will be a huge component of Microsoft's XBOX One. No word yet on whether or not a "Kinect for Windows" edition is in the works but I figure it's safe to assume it will be released some point down the line.

No word as well if the USB connection will be left open like the original allowing drivers to be build for all types of operating systems. I get the sinking suspicion they want to keep this model in their own hands this time around...

Building upon the great 3D capturing Processing sketch (which is featured in Kinect Hacks), Javier Graciá Carpio has updated his Kinect Mash Viewer codebase and added a Kinect 3D face morphing and DLA drawing effect option to the app.

Control:mapper is a utility which enables you to use your Microsoft Kinect with almost any existing Windows application. Control:mapper monitors the movement of your body for predefined actions, then converts them to your specified keyboard and mouse commands.

This video demonstrates how their new software, control:mapper, enables you to play existing Windows applications using your Microsoft Kinect and a Windows 7 or 8 PC.

Assign any combination of keys and mouse control to defined gestures, or virtual triggers located in the space around your body.

The technological start-up CoVii introduced today at CES its new software for 3D sensors, which transforms any screen of any size into a touchscreen - ViiHaptic.

The Israeli company PrimeSense™, that created the 3D sensor technology, believes that this new CoVii’s software will revolutionize the digital signage market, because it can transform any screen of any size already used by companies into a touchscreen in a robust manner and with a much lower cost than a real touchscreen.