Tallinn Tech Researchers Get Access to Kinect for App Development (6)

Published: 08.02.2012 13:21

Kinect: not just a teen toy ( Photo: Reuters/Scanpix )

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Tallinn University of Technology researchers are linking up with Microsoft to develop services based on the company's Kinect technology.

A competition that wound up this week at the University aimed to generate innovative ideas in the field of telemedicine and teleconferencing, navigation systems, indoor navigation, health care, facial recognition and manufacturing process management.

Kinect is is a motion sensing device for the Xbox 360 video game console.

The competition winners were Olev Märtens of the University of Technology's Thomas Johann Seebeck electronics institute, associate professor with the information science institute Innar Liiv and student Henri Hallik.

They were given the latest Kinect Windows technology - introduced this year - for conducting further research.

The Seebeck electronics institute plans to develop Kinect applications in the field of audio and video technologies, with testing and development planned in cooperation with the partner hospitals of ELIKO Technology Development Center.

Dean for innovation and international relations Alar Kolk said use of Kinect technology for developing services in telemedicine, facial expressions and navigation systems is a "very new" field.

Microsoft's Andres Sirel says the cooperation with the Tallinn University of Technology is unprecedented and hopes are high. "Microsoft is doing everything it can to put applications developed by Tallinn Tech scientists and students on the world map."


Kristopher Rikken

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Comments (6)

  • ameeriklane

    08.02.2012 15:48

    "Given access" to the Kinect technology? Isn't this the same Kinect I can walk into any electronics store and purchase? What's next, they will be "given access" to an Apple iPad?

  • James

    08.02.2012 21:57

    "Kinect is is a motion sensing device for the Xbox 360 video game console." Kinect for Windows is for PCs.

  • James

    09.02.2012 13:27

    As for "given access" I guess this is a bit of an exaggeration. I think the software development kit for Kinect for Windows will be freely available. In this case it seems Microsoft have donated some hardware.

  • Juhan021

    09.02.2012 13:32

    Kinect was developed for XBOX interface only. As with XBOX, you were not supposed to fiddle around with it - even opening up the physical device was considered to be criminal, same applied to Kinect. Of course there were people out there who ignored it completely and found other ways to use the Kinect, icluding hooking it up with PC. They have came up with some amazing applications - from using it in medical operating theatres to helping outistic children to interact with the world in totally different way. Thus Microsoft took it to next level and now with the release of SDK tools it has made it legal to hack, and crack and whatnot in order to came up with new applications for the device. It has made it open source. I've been using it just for few months now and it's brilliant. Even gets my thick Estonian accent, lol.

  • @

    09.02.2012 13:44

    Any smartass replies to Juhan021's post, ameeriklane?

  • ameeriklane

    09.02.2012 17:21

    Ok that clears it up. I guess I don't see how this is news then. They are getting access to something that is already available to the public (it sounds like Juhan has been using it legally for months).