Microsoft’s Kinect can lead to many, many awesome ‘hacks’ and projects. This resulted in a model specifically for Windows aimed at making apps. It seemed that each week someone had found a newer and cooler application of the motion sensor. Microsoft’s MVP James Ashley has found yet another application of Kinect v2.
Using v2’s 1080p camera, James used color images from the Kinect directly and mapped the color data from these to depth positions in real time. Using this, he was able to write an app that can create 3D videos.
This is capability is possible through the new preview SDK, and the application can run on a mid-tier laptop. The applications of this technology include 3D chats in real-time, or recorded transitions like in Star Wars. James also thinks its possible to turn the data recorded into something that could be used to print 3D models.
The underlying themes in most Kinect projects is collecting data. In this case, James is collecting data that can be really useful when recreating a scene in 3D, with information on depth that isn’t available in pictures. Applications of this data could be used in crime scenes or in medicine, where recreating is needed for analyzing afterwards.
You can read more about the application here, and the created 3D video is embedded below. If you are inspired, and want to buy your own Kinect for Windows, you can here.
