There is no doubt that Kinect is the most innovative technology that Microsoft introduced in the recent past. With Kinect you can not only play games but also be really part of the them and use your natural gestures and body movements to interact with the game console.
Even though Microsoft released it for gaming purpose, hobbyists and hackers around the globe started using Kinect for various scenarios. When Microsoft noticed the potential contribution of hobbyist for better uses of Kinect, they opened up the device for programmers to use it beyond the games. The end results are awesome and the today Kinect is being used in many areas like healthcare, education, entertainment, etc.
Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s corporate communications chief, says
Almost immediately following the launch of Kinect, hobbyists and academics from around the world embraced Kinect possibilities in ways that surprised and delighted. And with the launch of a non-commercial software development kit, we saw even more exciting and creative applications in the areas of healthcare, rehab, education and so much more. As we watched these stories unfold, the term “The Kinect Effect” emerged in hallway conversations at Microsoft as a way to describe the amazing and creative ways Kinect was being used
It’s been an year since Kinect is launched and to celebrate the first birthday Microsoft released a video demonstrating the “Kinect Effect”. Check out the embedded video