The New Generation Kinect for Windows Sensor is Coming Next Year

By now, most of you likely have heard about the new Kinect sensor that Microsoft will deliver as part of Xbox One later this year. 

Today, I am pleased to announce that Microsoft will also deliver a new generation Kinect for Windows sensor next year. We’re continuing our commitment to equipping businesses and organizations with the latest natural technology from Microsoft so that they, in turn, can develop and deploy innovative touch-free applications for their businesses and customers. A new Kinect for Windows sensor and software development kit (SDK) are core to that commitment.

Both the new Kinect sensor and the new Kinect for Windows sensor are being built on a shared set of technologies. Just as the new Kinect sensor will bring opportunities for revolutionizing gaming and entertainment, the new Kinect for Windows sensor will revolutionize computing experiences. The precision and intuitive responsiveness that the new platform provides will accelerate the development of voice and gesture experiences on computers.

Some of the key capabilities of the new Kinect sensor include:

• Higher fidelity
  The new sensor includes a high-definition (HD) color camera as well as a new noise-isolating multi-microphone array that filters ambient sounds to recognize natural speaking voices even in crowded rooms. Also included is Microsoft’s proprietary Time-of-Flight technology, which measures the time it takes individual photons to rebound off an object or person to create unprecedented accuracy and precision. All of this means that the new sensor recognizes precise motions and details, such as slight wrist rotation, body position, and even the wrinkles in your clothes. The Kinect for Windows community will benefit from the sensor’s enhanced fidelity, which will allow developers to create highly accurate solutions that see a person’s form better than ever, track objects and environments with greater detail, and understand voice commands in noisier settings than before.

The enhanced fidelity and depth perception of the new Kinect sensor will allow developers to
create apps that see a person's form better, track objects with greater detail, and understand
voice commands in noisier settings.

• Expanded field of view
  The expanded field of view accommodates a multitude of differently sized rooms, minimizing the need to modify existing room configurations and opening up new solution-development opportunities. The combination of the new sensor’s higher fidelity plus expanded field of view will give businesses the tools they need to create truly untethered, natural computing experiences such as clicker-free presentation scenarios, more dynamic simulation and training solutions, up-close interactions, more fluid gesture recognition for quick interactions on the go, and much more.
      
• Improved skeletal tracking
  The new sensor tracks more points on the human body than previously, including the tip of the hand and thumb, and tracks six skeletons at once. This not only yields more accurate skeletal tracking, it opens up a range of new scenarios, including improved “avateering,” the ability to develop enhanced rehabilitation and physical fitness solutions, and the possibility to create new experiences in public spaces—such as retail—where multiple users can participate simultaneously.

The new sensor tracks more points on the human body than previously, including the tip of the hand
and thumb, and tracks six skeletons at once. This opens up a range of new scenarios, from improved
"avateering" to experiences in which multiple users can participate simultaneously.  

• New active infrared (IR)
  The all-new active-IR capabilities allow the new sensor to work in nearly any lighting condition and, in essence, give businesses access to a new fourth sensor: audio, depth, color…and now active IR. This will offer developers better built-in recognition capabilities in different real-world settings—independent of the lighting conditions—including the sensor’s ability to recognize facial features, hand position, and more. 

I’m sure many of you want to know more. Stay tuned; at BUILD 2013 in June, we’ll share details about how developers and designers can begin to prepare to adopt these new technologies so that their apps and experiences are ready for general availability next year.

A new Kinect for Windows era is coming: an era of unprecedented responsiveness and precision.

Bob Heddle
Director, Kinect for Windows

Key links

• Learn more about the current Kinect for Windows sensor and SDK
• Hear what others are saying about Kinect for Windows
• See examples of Kinect for Windows in action

 
Photos in this blog by STEPHEN BRASHEAR/Invision for Microsoft/AP Images

Comments

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2013
  All light conditions such as full sun exposure ?

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2013
  are there any differences between the XboxOne kinect and the new windows kinect? like near-mode in the case of the first kinect

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2013
  Could we actually get Kinect for Windows integrated into the OS, this time around, instead of only being used for development and experimentation?  I know I'd love to control the Start screen and WinRT apps on my Windows 8-based HTPC natively with the new Kinect, without having to do any additional workarounds or anything to get it done.  I mean, with all the touch and gesture based stuff in Windows 8, Kinect control would be a natural fit for large screens.

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2013
  Remember that the next Xbox is built on Windows... so it will happen someday, Joe. ;-)

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2013
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2013
  We can confirm that there will be an update at BUILD at the end of June. They just made more room and opened up more tickets, as it was previously sold out, so get them quickly if you want to attend: http://www.buildwindows.com/ Even if you can't make it, we will be updating via Twitter and Facebook as announcements occur. Thank you!

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2013
  Hello al. Both the new Kinect and the new Kinect for Windows sensor are built on a shared set of technologies. Microsoft’s ongoing investments in the Kinect technology have been driven by hardware and software teams that work across both the Xbox and Kinect for Windows businesses to drive innovative new features and advancements that will be seen in both sensors. We don’t have any additional information to share about Kinect for Windows at this time, but the company continues to work to perfect new-generation natural user interface (NUI) for both the Xbox and Windows platforms. Stay tuned for more technical details in the future!

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2013
  What is so special about the active IR channel? The current Kinect also has an IR view that is illuminated ..

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2013
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2013
  Hi Marco, we are developing a solution supporting hands-free computer access. We can't wait to get our hands on the new Kinect sensor. Our results are already astonishing using the current Kinect for Windows sensor. We are right in the middle of incorporating more and more features. Stay tuned and check out the KinesicMouse at http://kinesicmouse.com Best, Markus Pröll Xcessity Software Solutions http://xcessity.at

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2013
  Marco, the new kinect sdk has a seated mode for skeleton recognition/tracking, have you try the skeleton basics-D2D on seated mode, i try it and the kinect recognized my skeleton, and I was sitting on my chair.

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2013
  I want to control Windows 8 with my hands. Let's see if Microsoft uses the Kinect technology to make this possible or i have to buy this great device: www.youtube.com/watch

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2013
  Thanks for reply but I was talking about the Kinect version for Xbox 360. I've never used the Kinect version for Windows. I don't if know it works in differents way. Waiting for second version for Xbox One.

• Anonymous
  May 27, 2013
  Marco, the kinect version for Xbox360 is able to track in seated mode too. The only difference between windows and xbox kinect is the near mode, i think.

• Anonymous
  May 28, 2013
  <a href = "www.networkingtipstricks.blogspot.in/">All light conditions such as full sun exposurer</a>

• Anonymous
  May 28, 2013
  Your xbox kinect has no luv for big people. So make sure you make this one works for the plus peoples.

• Anonymous
  May 28, 2013
  will it be required to be always connected even of your computer is off?

• Anonymous
  May 28, 2013
  I'm not a developer or anything but I think the windows Kinect variant should have an eye tracking system as well as the skeletal tracking. That would honestly have such smooth flow with Windows 8 and the start screen interface. So instead of physically having to interact with the screen, the camera would just navigate wherever your eyes were looking at the screen.

• Anonymous
  May 28, 2013
  Yes I agree with Mary Ann I am a plus size woman so please make this work for plus size people. We live in this world too. I would love to test this product for u.

• Anonymous
  May 28, 2013
  Will the new Kinect work outside, in the daylight?

• Anonymous
  May 28, 2013
  In the image above, it was a single depth frame or it was Kinect Fusion?

• Anonymous
  May 28, 2013
  Just one question, how fast does the new Kinect react to movements? Kinect 1.0 had like 1000ms lag when tracking. The LeapMotion could do almost no-lag tracking. Does Kinect 2.0 achieve at least 100ms in tracking time?

• Anonymous
  May 29, 2013
  John, Which image are you referring to? Thank you!

• Anonymous
  May 29, 2013
  Hello "anon", in response to your question about whether or not the Kinect for Windows sensor will need to be connected if your computer is off: The new Kinect for Windows sensor will remain a standard Windows peripheral and will not require an Internet connection. Thank you!

• Anonymous
  May 29, 2013
  Wouter, The only information we have at this time on the inclusion of the all-new active-IR is listed above. From the blog: The all-new active-IR capabilities allow the new sensor to work in nearly any lighting condition and, in essence, give businesses access to a new fourth sensor: audio, depth, color…and now active IR. This will offer developers better built-in recognition capabilities in different real-world settings—independent of the lighting conditions—including the sensor’s ability to recognize facial features, hand position, and more. Please stay tuned for more updates at the end of June around BUILD 2013. Thank you!

• Anonymous
  May 30, 2013
  check this out: news.xbox.com/.../xbox-reveal-the-eyes-ears-and-brain-of-the-all-new-kinect

• Anonymous
  June 01, 2013
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• Anonymous
  June 01, 2013
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• Anonymous
  June 08, 2013
  So wait, I just spent $250 on a Connect for Windows and now it's obsolete in less than a year???? THANKS BILL!!!!

• Anonymous
  June 21, 2013
  Can you please tell more about bio sensing feature in this Kinect?..

• Anonymous
  April 03, 2014
  hi, Can kinect v2 detect a person lying on floor, is it possible to detect the person lying on floor by placing the kinect v2 little inlcined on wall?? Thank you,

• Anonymous
  August 05, 2014
  Hi, I need to use a image for my paper, but a dont know how to contact ???? If you want give me you email to contact you. thanks.