Apps for Microsoft Kinect will soon be available on the Windows Store, following the release of SDK 2 for Kinect v2 sensors.
Previously, commercial deployment of Kinect apps had been constrained to the company’s Xbox platform.
The apps will, the company said, work identically across Xbox and Windows 8 and 8.1, providing developers with “a whole new marketplace for business and consumer experiences”.
Commercial deployment of Kinect apps on Windows Store was a frequent request from the developer community, Microsoft said, and there are a handful of Kinect-enabled apps available immediately.
These include photo animation, 3D printing software, and an app to turn any surface into a touchscreen. A physiotherapy app for the elderly, developed by a joint venture between Intel and GE, is also in the works.
“These updates are all part of our goal to make Kinect accessible and easy to use for every developer,” said Microsoft.
“We are seeing a lot of interest from businesses to bring interactive experiences to their customers … [and now] there is a big opportunity for developers to meet the demand,” the company added.
Kinect SDK 2 is immediately available for developers to download free, and there are no fees for runtime licenses of commercial applications developed with it.
However, in order to get Kinect v2 sensors to work on Windows, a £30 USB connector is needed. It’s only available in the UK through the Microsoft Store.
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