Microsoft has release Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) from Microsoft Research, a free beta release for non-commercial applications.
The SDK is expected to enable community of developers, academic researchers and enthusiasts to create new experiences that include depth sensing, human motion tracking, and voice and object recognition using Kinect technology on Windows 7.
Developers utilising the new toolkit and a vast array of hardware are expected to build concept applications across a diverse range of scenarios, including, potentially, healthcare, science and education.
The Kinect for Windows SDK include raw sensor streams for enabling developers to access raw data streams from depth sensor, color camera sensor and the four-element microphone array; skeletal tracking to help developers create gesture-driven applications, and advanced audio capabilities.
The easy to install SDK kit features extensive documentation with more than 100 pages of high-quality technical documentation, which includes built-in help files, and offers detailed walkthroughs for most samples provided with the SDK.
Microsoft Research distinguished scientist Anoop Gupta said they can’t wait to see what this community will create as they work together to build more natural, intuitive computing experiences.
The Kinect for Windows SDK, which works with Windows 7, includes drivers, rich APIs for raw sensor streams, natural user interfaces, installer documents and resource materials.
The SDK provides Kinect capabilities to developers building applications with C++, C# or Visual Basic using Microsoft Visual Studio 2010.
Microsoft said it is planning to release a commercial version of the SDK at a later date.
