This document summarizes the user innovation around the Microsoft Kinect gaming sensor. In 3 sentences:
A hacker freed the Kinect hardware from the Xbox in 2010, allowing open access and development of open source software. This led Microsoft to release a software development kit and change their strategy to embrace the user innovation around potential applications like robotics, navigation, and virtual reality. The Kinect is now used widely both by individuals and commercially, with over 20 million units sold and entrepreneurial opportunities emerging in various fields that utilize its 3D sensing capabilities.
8. Navigation
Kinect “hacks” applications
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Hacking the Kinect with OpenNI, NITE, and Java - by Andrew Davison
Screen control 3D Modeling 3D Camera Virtual reality
Robotics Interaction Entertainment
9. Microsoft open strategy
9
SDK
“Kinect was not actually hacked. [...] What has happened is that someone [...]
opened the USB connection, which we didn’t protect by design"
Software Kinect Studio Lauched - 16.06.20111
Commercial Windows SDK Launched -1.02.20122
Microsoft Kinect for Windows is sold for 249$3 +100 $
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Few numbers
over 20 million Kinects sold (as of 19.9.2012)
Microsoft Kinect was ranked 2nd in
"The 10 Most InnovativeTech Products of 2011"
about 75300 videos searching “Kinect” onYouTube
about 15700 videos searching “Kinect hacks” onYouTube
....which means about 21% of the total videos
more than 7640 academic papers on research
and experiments using Kinect
more than 1000 new posts per day on
Kinect Apps and Hacks in forum and communities