RoomAlive Toolkit unveiled at Build 2015
As highlighted during the Build 2015 Conference, Microsoft is more committed than ever to delivering innovative software, services, and devices that are changing the way people use technology and opening up new scenarios for developers. Perhaps no software reflects that commitment better than the RoomAlive Toolkit, whose release was announced Thursday, April 30, in a Build 2015 talk. The toolkit is now available for download on GitHub.
The RoomAlive Toolkit enables developers to network one or more Kinect sensors to one or more projectors and, by so doing, to project interactive experiences across the surfaces of an entire room. The toolkit provides everything needed to do interactive projection mapping, which enables an entirely new level of engagement, in which interactive content can come to virtual life on the walls, the floor, and the furniture. Imagine turning a living room into a holodeck or a factory floor—the RoomAlive toolkit makes such scenarios possible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ifnt3xM1J0
This video shows the RoomAlive Toolkit calibration process in action.
The most basic setup for the toolkit requires one projector linked to one of the latest Kinect sensors. But why limit yourself to just one each? Experiences become larger and more immersive with the addition of more Kinect sensors and projectors and the RoomAlive toolkit provides what you need to get everything setup and calibrated.
While the most obvious use for the RoomAlive Toolkit is the creation of enhanced gaming experiences, its almost magical capabilities could be a game-changer in retail displays, art installations, and educational applications. The toolkit derives from the IllumiRoom and RoomAlive projects developed by Microsoft Research.
Over the next several weeks, we will be releasing demo videos that show developers how to calibrate the data from multiple Kinect sensors and how to use the software and tools to create their own projection mapping scenarios. In the meantime, you can get a sense of the creative potential of the RoomAlive Toolkit in the video on Wobble, which shows how a room’s objects can be manipulated for special effects, and the video on 3D Object videos, which shows how virtual objects can be added to the room. Both of these effects are part of the toolkit’s sample app. And please share your feedback, issues, and suggestions over at the project’s home on GitHub.
The Kinect for Windows Team
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