Kinect Hack - Using the depth Camera to create 3D scenes

Just within a couple of days after the release, Kinect is likely to gain attention for many developers and Hackers. Thanks to Hector Martin who started this feat. Recently, Oliver Kreyl from UC Davis made use of the Depth Camera to capture 3D scenes. On his website, he claimed that he didn't use any of Hector Martin's code, but the "magic incantations" that need to be sent to the Kinect to enable the cameras and start streaming. The 3D reconstruction code is entirely written from scratch in C++, using his own Vrui VR toolkit for 3D rendering management and interaction.

The captured scene is not full 3D, it only renders maximum to what the camera can see. As on the image below, when the scene is rotated, it cannot display half of the "other side" which the Kinect camera cannot see. But it does a stunning job in calculating the depth of items.

Hope there is more to come in the future. I can imagine using 2 Kinect sensors on 2 sides facing one another creating a full 3D scene. Hardware for only 300 bucks, and you even get a game.

Via Engadget
Source : Oliver Kreyl

XBox 360 Update

Okay, the Kinect is out for 150 bucks (and that's in $s and €s), and you get 1 game as well, but do you know what it costs Microsoft to build one? From EETimes, the rough Bill Of Material for 1 kinect is $56. Well that's business folks. The rest is probably to cover the research and time spendings.

Reviews from IGN about the new improved XBox 360 D-Pad. Before, gamers are complaining about the Controllers D-Pad response, and the solution that has come is to make a hybrid disc and cross D-Pad making it. "Microsoft's hardware team has essentially taken the Xbox 360's existing d-pad design and used a switch mechanism to isolate the 4-way 'plus' shape for better tactile recognition and performance, while at the same time maintaining the versatility of an 8-way directional 'disk' system".
In the end, IGN gave it an outstanding 9.0 Score.

XBox 360 Controller DressUp - The Avenger

Yes, that picture above is a real XBox 360 controller. Not a modified one, but equipped with Avenger, an n external adapter that claims to provide an immersive gaming experience through an intuitive user-interface, or control interface I should say. It also claims to enhance the gamer’s manual dexterity and situational awareness by improving accuracy and reaction-time. Probably another way to say having extensions on the buttons. Anyway, it may look cool for some of you, but may also uglifies the XBox Controller. Anyway, for $60 it's worth to afford it, concerning many positive feedbacks and you'll get a 30 day warranty. I wonder what kind of Accessories they could make for Kinect?

Source
The Avenger

Kinect Hacked..!! Or open I should say.

Just after 3 hours of European release, Hector Martin released the first Kinect Open source driver, earning him cash from Adafruit contest. That's the good news for him, but many more exciting ones for developers.



Even students are waiting for this to use Kinect for their projects. It's $150 price tag will be worth it for learning purposes of robotics, science, augmented reality, or interaction projects. The OpenKinect google group is up and you can get the driver right now. Though still many To-Dos, but the guys are working on it, I'm sure. So while they are, perhaps in the meantime you folks could figure what you can make out of it for later.

Source
The Kinect Is Now Basically Wide Open
Kinect Hacked Opensource Drivers Now Working

Kinect sales in the US - ahead of Playstation Move ??

About a week after it's release in the Americas (11/4) before UK launch, Kinect seems to be on the spotlight. Selling more than 470,000 just 2 days after it's release.

Kinect Adventures                     479,992
Kinect Sports                            142,991
Dance Central                           132,554
Kinectimals                                 98,303
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved       61,338
Fighters Uncaged                        31,939
Kinect Joyride                            31,854
Sonic Free Riders                       18,402
Motion Sports                            16,198
Adrenalin Misfits                          3,602
Dance Masters                            3,459

Playstation Move sales according to VGchartz spans the number of 200,000. Now this seems lower than Sony's numbers but VGchartz calculates not by the number of controllers sold, but by the number of unique move Users. I don't know where they get the numbers, but a typical launch ratio for a new console is 1.7 controllers per console. If this is true, looks like Microsofts Research and Investments are getting paid, outnumbering the Playstation Move. This may be different from what game reviewers said as there is too much game choices for, the high cost of the machine, and usually rating the PS3 Move higher than Kinect in reviews. But the gamers, as for casual ones don't think like them. What Microsoft had in Kinect that the Playstation Move doesn't is the breakthrough of new concept of body controller which has never been implemented before, and people always tend to buy something new. Unlike the PS3, even though reviewers and watchers know that it is more advanced than the wiimote, but in a nutshell, it's just a Playstation Wiimote.

Source
Speculative Kinect sales figures announced, looks to have handily trumped Playstation Move
Playstation Move Sell Through Update
Initial Kinect Sales Revealed

Kinect Launces in UK

Hundreds of crowds queueing in the cold waiting for the first Kinect release in UK. A video by IGN shows the excitement of the crowds looking forward to playing with kinect naked..!! Yeah.. many game reviewers tested the technology for detecting people naked, and logically if it does a good job detecting yourself with clothes it will have no problem detecting naked people and it did.

Here is a video and also stuffs you may need to know about kinect. The price tag for kinect is about €149 in Europe with a bundle of Kinect Adventures. Although some experts and gamers doubt the future of Kinect in playing hard core XBox games, Kinect will certainly gain a new audience and will have it's own marketshare.