Kinect For Windows 1.5 Released, Now Has Skeletal, Facial Trackins

Kinect for Windows 1.5 was released by Microsoft on Monday, a software upgrade that adds several capabilities to the already successful “human control” system.

PCMag reports that Microsoft has already made Kinect for Windows hardware available in four additional countries (Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan).

PC Mag states that:

“The updated release adds several capabilities intended to help developers use the Kinect sensor in new and intriguing ways. That includes Kinect Studio, which will let developers record, playback, and debug clips of users engaging with their apps. There’s also improved tracking – from facial features to seated skeletal tracking.”

Microsoft released a statement about the Kinect update, which reads:

“Skeletal Tracking is supported in Near Mode, including both Default and Seated tracking modes. This allows businesses and developers to create applications that track skeletal movement at closer proximity, like when the end user is sitting at a desk or needs to stand close to an interactive display.”

According to WebProNews, the gaming console also now recognizes voice commands in French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese. They further state that, thanks to the new tools, developers are able to play with the Kinect Studio. It reportedly allows developers to play back Kinect data, which will make testing easier.

With the skeletal tracking capabilities now available, WebProNews reports that the Seated Skeletal Tracking, “can now detect a 10-joint head/shoulders/arms skeletons while ignoring the leg and hip joints.”

PCMag reports that Microsoft further stated:

“As we have worked with customers large and small over the past months, we’ve seen the value in having a fully integrated approach: the Kinect software and hardware are designed together; audio, video, and depth are all fully supported and integrated; our sensor, drivers, and software work together to provide world class echo cancellation; our approach to human tracking, which is designed in conjunction with the Kinect sensor, works across a broad range of people of all shapes, sizes, clothes, and hairstyles, etc. And because we design the hardware and software together, we are able to make changes that open up exciting new areas for innovation, like Near Mode.”

Are you excited about the new additions to the Kinect for Windows program?

Check out a video about Kinect for Windows here:

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