When Microsoft debuted the Kinect for XBox 360 gaming system, it hailed it as a revolutionary leap forward in the industry. But at the same time, it also hinted at more business-oriented applications.
Now, the company has confirmed plans to release a software development kit (SDK) for developers to build applications integrating Kinect with Microsoft Windows.
The SDK, due out this spring, is the latest effort from Microsoft to develop a so-called “natural user interface,” or NUI.
“Kinect is the first example of this … of making the computer a lot more like we are,” Craig Mundie, Microsoft’s chief research and strategy officer, said in a video released last week. “We will be able to get computers to work at our behest, not just on our behalf,” he added.
Datamation takes a look at Microsoft’s plans for Kinect, Windows and the vision of the NUI.