Looks like the concept of using hands-free applications for industries like healthcare and engineering might be taking place sooner than we thought. Microsoft announced today that the company was going to bring Xbox Kinect To Windows based computers.
As we know, Microsoft introduced the Kinect in 2010 as a “controller-free gaming and entertainment experience” originally developed for its Xbox video game platform. It allows players to interact with games through physical gestures rather than using a controller.
As Information week reports, Microsoft now plans on expanding on the Kinect platform by introducing it to the Windows PC. Microsoft plans on releasing software for developers to create applications that are compatible with the Kinect and can run on Windows based desktops and laptops. The Kinect for Windows SDK will be available in the next several weeks.
The guys over at Microsoft Research have high hopes for the Kinect platform. “When we first saw the Kinect it became completely obvious that what we wanted to do was control the universe with our fingertips. We believe that Kinect can be more than just a great platform for gaming and entertainment. It opens up enormous opportunities that span everything from delivering new personal experiences to addressing societal challenges in the fields of healthcare and education.”
Just recently, Microsoft brought Kinect support to the Xbox 360 for the popular Netflix application which allows for voice or gesture control of the Netflix interface to select any content.
To give you an idea on how popular the Kinect really is, Guinness Records declared it the fastest selling tech gadget of all time.
