The above video shows a rather neat (if impractical) Kinect-powered shopping cart that can follow a user around the store and monitor what they buy. Putting aside how expensive a single cart would be (and the obvious problems in the demo), it’s still hard to envision this thing in my neighborhood grocery store. I shudder to imagine that creepy robot voice announcing every item that everyone puts in their cart. Plus, call me old fashioned, but I think I’d prefer to push my cart.
Still, it is a cool amalgamation of tech and who knows what the final product will be.
Here’s a video of Jeff Singer, Crestron director of global marketing campaigns, demonstrating Crestron’s integration with Kinect gestures.
Kinect, Microsoft’s motion control peripheral, will soon be available for PCs in addition to the Xbox gaming console.
Starting February 1st, you’ll be able to buy a Kinect made just for your computer for $249. Many have expressed surprise over the fact that Kinect for Windows costs $100 more than Kinect for Xbox (which has a standalone price of $149) with only minor changes in the hardware, but Microsoft insists that part of the Xbox price is subsidized by game and Xbox Live purchases.
Kinect for Xbox has proven to be a hit with over 18-million units sold worldwide so far. With Windows 8 also scheduled to be released later this year, 2012 is shaping up to to be a good year for Microsoft.
Can banking be fun? Lithuanian software outfit Etronika thinks it can and has created a new Kinect-based, motion-activated user interface for the company’s banking software that let’s users manipulate and manage their accounts simply by waving their hand. Clapping your hands together selects an icon and brings up the appropriate screen selection, while swiping back and forth navigates the carousel of icons.
Hackers have created all sorts of applications that take advantage of Kinect’s technology including some that can be used with home automation. Only time will tell if motion-controlled banking takes off, but one can only hope it’s never implemented into ATMs.
The new Xbox 360 system has been getting a lot of attention with its 4 gigabytes of memery and glossy finish, but what gamers are really getting excited about is the soon to be released Kinect.
The Kinect Console Bundle will sell for $300 starting November 4 (just in time for Christmas season). That includes a new Xbox 360, the Kinect sensor and the Kinect Adventures game. If you already own an Xbox 360 then you only pay $150 for the Kinect sensor.
Kinect is a controller free gaming experience, it enables users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 without needing to touch a game controller. So the player uses gestures and spoken commands to control the game something that is a unique experience among game consoles.
Kinect is based on software technology developed internally by Microsoft and range camera technology by Israeli developer PrimeSense, which interprets 3D scene information from a continuously-projected infrared pattern. The technology recognizes gestures, faces, and voices, and it has the ability to track up to 6 people at a time.
We are looking forward to seeing the Kinect in action! And we’re looking forward to all the new and inventive games that will accompany it!
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