Get hacking with the new Kinect for Windows

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For the past six months, a select group of developers have been participants in the Kinect for Windows Developer Preview program, experimenting with a pre-release version of the Kinect for Windows v2 sensor and the alpha SDK. I’m pleased to announce that as of June 5, 2014, the v2 sensor is now available to all for preorder.

This next-generation sensor boasts a variety of new and improved features, among them increased depth-sensing capabilities, full 1080p video, improved skeletal tracking, and enhanced infrared technology—not to mention the ability to create Windows Store apps. Here are a few amazing proofs of concept already created using this new sensor:

  • Razorfish employed the v2 sensor to create an interactive soccer game that rewards players with a free drink dispensed by a vending machine—an immersive customer experience got raves at the 2014 National Retail Federation Convention earlier this year.

  • At a recent hackathon in Berlin, a team from Metrilus created a finger tracking library using the v2 preview sensor and SDK. This could enable the recognition of precise finger gestures, like those used in sign language. 

  • If you were with us at BUILD in April, you may have also seen the innovative apps created by Reflexion Health and Freak’n Genius.

Based on the quality innovation coming out of the developer preview, the impact of opening access up to this sensor for even more developers should be amazing. 

Preordered sensors will ship in July, simultaneous with the release of the public beta of the latest Kinect for Windows SDK 2.0. Developers who preorder will get a head start on creating great solutions built around natural human-computer interactions, as general availability of the v2 sensor won’t happen until later this year. If you want to get in on the creative action even sooner:

  • Register for our upcoming hackathon June 21-22 in New York City (don’t worry - we’ll provide loaner v2 sensors)

  • Sign up for our “Programming the Kinect for Windows Jump Start” at the Microsoft Virtual Academy.

For even more details on the preorder process or the v2 sensor, head over to the Kinect for Windows blog. 

Good hacking!

Guggs