What Kinect Sees

Description

• Originally an add-on motion-sensing device for the Xbox, Kinect will come bundled with the Xbox One console scheduled for release around December 2013. The updated Kinect will feature brand new technology compared to its predecessor. While the first version utilized an infrared camera and projector to track a player's precise location, the new Kinect features "time of light" technology, which uses a highly sensitive image sensor to track pulses of light. The Kinect's sensor measures how and when the light bounces back and converts the data into 3-D images.

Positioning

• The Kinect is capable of seeing many different things, but its designed purpose is to see the gamer's body and to detect any movement that can influence game play. In the past, movement meant the most obvious swings of an arm or leg. Kinect can now go well beyond previous limitations, rendering detailed images of a person's physical appearance and detecting the slightest shift in body positioning. The image sensor can also determine the body's skeletal posture, its orientation in the room and the force applied to muscle groups.

Expressions

• The Kinect monitors the gamer's face and checks for changes in expression to identify bored or inattentive players. Microsoft can then analyze the data to improve future games. The Kinect is also able to recognize a specific gamer's face, depicting every detail from the shape of one's nose to preferred clothing and accessories.

Extras

• Even though it's no longer the primary technology, infrared remains part of the package, enabling the Kinect to see in complete darkness. The Kinect can even detect a user's heart rate by simply looking at him, providing an unusual measure for game play excitement. Aside from the motion-sensing abilities, the Kinect also serves as a regular camera, delivering high-resolution video for online communications.