The Kinect, originally developed by Microsoft is a pretty amazing device. Thanks to a few cameras and sensors, the Xbox add-on can accurately detect body movements in real time. Microsoft recently unveiled an SDK, which will allow developers to code their own applications for the device connected to Windows PCs, making good for more than just games. For those of you who don’t know, the term SDK, stands for “Software Development Kit,” and it is a way for companies to provide developers with information that takes advantage of a particular technology. The Kinect SDK is currently in beta form and will do just that, as Microsoft explained in a Press Release: The SDK is designed to empower a growing community of developers, academic researchers and enthusiasts to create new experiences that include depth sensing, human motion tracking, and voice and object recognition using Kinect technology on Windows 7. The SDK includes extensive documentation, Windows drivers, and many tools that allow developers to take advantage of features exclusive to the Kinect, such as visual and audio tracking. As with most if not all, Microsoft’s SDKs works out of the box with the company’s own development environment, known as Visual Studio, and it does so in a variety of languages including C#, C++, and Visual Basic. Microsoft held an event at its campus to celebrate the release where developers discussed the many uses Kinect will have outside the gaming world that can now be created. Ever since the Kinect first became available in November last year, developers have already figured out ways to give it uses other than gaming. Shortly after the release, third-party open source drivers found their way onto the web. using those drivers, many third-parties have developed applications that take advantage of Microsoft’s hardware not only on the Windows OS but also on Linux as well. A scientist at Microsoft Research, Aaron Gupta, recognizes the benefit that third-party development will bring to the table and mentioned the following: We can’t wait to see what this community will create as we work together to build more natural, intuitive computing experiences. Third-party development was not approved by Microsoft at first, but it is clear that the company has now realized the true potential of the Kinect. With legitimate drivers, and a real SDK, the open source counterparts will likely come to an end but the community will always take credit for truly opening up the technology. For those of you who are interested in checking the SDK out, the beta version is available as a free download today from Microsoft’s website. The final version is expected to be released later this year as a free download as well. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and/or by subscribing to our RSS Feed to keep yourself updated on all of the latest tech news and info. Authors: