Microsoft Adds Windows Store App Development Support To Kinect For Windows

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At Microsoft BUILD 2014, Microsoft made it official that the Kinect for Windows v2 sensor and SDK are coming this summer. Also another important announcement was that they are adding Windows Store app development support. With it, developers will be able to start creating Windows Store apps with Kinect for the first time.

Kinect for Windows v2 sensor:

The Kinect for Windows v2 has been re-engineered with major enhancements in color fidelity, video definition, field of view, depth perception, and skeletal tracking. In other words, the v2 sensor offers greater overall precision, improved responsiveness, and intuitive capabilities that will accelerate your development of voice and gesture experiences.

Specifically, the Kinect for Windows v2 includes 1080p HD video, which allows for crisp, high-quality augmented scenarios; a wider field of view, which means that users can stand closer to the sensor—making it possible to use the sensor in smaller rooms; improved skeletal tracking, which opens up even better scenarios for health and fitness apps and educational solutions; and new active infrared detection, which provides better facial tracking and gesture detection, even in low-light situations.

The Kinect for Windows v2 SDK brings the sensor’s new capabilities to life:

  • Window Store app development: Being able to integrate the latest human computing technology into Windows apps and publish those to the Windows Store will give our developers the ability to reach more customers and open up access to natural user experiences in the home.
  • Unity Support: We are committed to supporting the broader developer community with a mix of languages, frameworks, and protocols. With support for Unity this summer, more developers will be able to build and publish their apps to the Windows Store by using tools they already know.
  • Improved anatomical accuracy: With the first-generation SDK, developers were able to track up to two people simultaneously; now, their apps can track up to six. And the number of joints that can be tracked has increased from 20 to 25 joints per person. Lastly, joint orientation is better. The result is skeletal tracking that’s greatly enhanced overall, making it possible for developers to deliver new and improved applications with skeletal tracking, which our preview participants are calling “seamless.”
  • Simultaneous, multi-app support: Multiple Kinect-enabled applications can run simultaneously. Our community has frequently requested this feature and we’re excited to be able to give it to them with the upcoming release.

Read more about it here.

More about the topics: kinect, Kinect for Windows, microsoft

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