Go Inside The Kinect… Literally
Microsoft has unleashed two new videos detailing the new features of the Kinect 2.0. One video shows off the camera’s IR function which allows players to continue to use the Kinect even in a dimly lit room. The IR function is a black and white 3D image of the player that accurately displays movement and even facial expressions. It also shows off the expanded distance limitations of the new Kinect.
The other video shows the technical side of the camera. Depicted is a split-screen of the player moving around on the right, and on the left shows a wireframe of sorts to depict the character as the Kinect sees you. It starts off showing the skeletal aspect of the player, then it adds on blocks (titled Orientation) to show that the camera recognizes specific movements such as twisting your arm. Then it shows musculature and force where the Kinect can tell where your body applies the most pressure and shows it through color; red being most applied pressure and green being least applied pressure. It can even tell how much force you’re exerting when you punch.
Next it shows off that the Kinect can read the player’s heart rate. This works by detecting pulse in the player’s face. The Kinect sensor can pinpoint “subtle variations in both color and intensity in the skin of [the] face” that cannot be seen by the naked eye.
Kinect’s IR functionality and distance perception:
Kinect’s technical inner workings:
