Getting Started with Kinect Development

On Thursday of last week, we launched the Kinect for Windows SDK Beta.  In case you missed it, the entire Kinect launch event was recorded and is now posted at https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/KinectSDK/BetaLaunch. 

You can download the Kinect SDK from here.  When getting started, I highly recommend the Kinect QuickStarts, a series of short videos that walk you through the basics.  

Finally, check out the main Kinect page at https://research.microsoft.com/kinectsdk.  It contains a great overview of the Kinect features, documentation and code walkthroughs, and forums for asking questions, getting answers, and providing feedback to the team. 

 

Code Libraries

Kinect SDK download: https://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/kinectsdk/download.aspx

Coding4Fun Kinect Toolkit (a handy developer API for Windows Forms and WPF, for things like converting a byte[] array to a bitmap or getting the distance of a particular pixel in one line of code): https://c4fkinect.codeplex.com/

 

Videos

Kinect Beta Launch On-Demand Sessions: https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/KinectSDK/BetaLaunch

• My favorite session during the launch was Programming The Kinect for Windows SDK Beta with Dan Fernandez & Gavin Jancke. 

Kinect for Windows Quickstarts: https://channel9.msdn.com/series/KinectSDKQuickstarts (NOTE: you can also download all of the zipped Quickstart videos from https://files.ch9.ms/coding4fun/KinectForWindowsSDKQuickstarts.zip):

• Installing and Using the Kinect Sensor: https://channel9.msdn.com/Series/KinectSDKQuickstarts/Understanding-Kinect-Hardware
• Setting up your Development Environment: https://channel9.msdn.com/Series/KinectSDKQuickstarts/Getting-Started
• Skeletal Tracking Fundamentals: https://channel9.msdn.com/Series/KinectSDKQuickstarts/Skeletal-Tracking-Fundamentals
• Camera Fundamentals: https://channel9.msdn.com/Series/KinectSDKQuickstarts/Camera-Fundamentals
• Working with Depth Data: https://channel9.msdn.com/Series/KinectSDKQuickstarts/Working-with-Depth-Data
• Audio Fundamentals: https://channel9.msdn.com/Series/KinectSDKQuickstarts/Audio-Fundamentals

 

Samples

Kinect for Windows SDK VB Samples: https://files.ch9.ms/coding4fun/KinectSDKSamplesVB.zip

Coding4Fun Kinect Project Gallery: https://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/kinect/

• Light Saber project (augmented reality WPF C# application with XNA that adds a Sith light saber to your left hand): https://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/kinect/Of-course-our-first-Kinect-for-Windows-SDK-Project-has-to-involve-a-Light-Saber
• Jellybean project (Kinect-enabled drivable lounge chair): https://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/kinect/Jellybeans-are-not-just-for-breakfast-anymore
• Mouse Cursor project (use the Kinect skeletal tracking feature to move the mouse cursor with your hands): https://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/kinect/Kinect-Mouse-Cursor
• Kinect Paint project (skeleton tracking application that allows you to become the paint brush): https://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/projects/Kinect-Paint

 

Documentation

Programming Guide: Getting Started with the Kinect for Windows SDK Beta

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started and Code Walkthroughs

Forums

 

Comments

• Anonymous
  June 23, 2011
  Can't get it to work on linux

• Anonymous
  June 23, 2011
  @beej - I'm sorry; you need Windows 7 to use the Kinect SDK.  The full list of hardware and software requirements is available at research.microsoft.com/.../download.aspx.  

• Anonymous
  November 19, 2011
  if can download kinectSDK  on laptop,does it means that ur laptop can run kinect?

• Anonymous
  February 26, 2012
  How can Mathematics Help us in developing  Kinect ??