(Image Source: Microsoft)

BY MADISON MACK

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Microsoft announced plans to commercially release the Kinect software development kit early next year, allowing businesses to create their own motion and voice controlled applications.

“We thought, this would be fun to play with, and it was. But something amazing is happening. The world is starting to imagine things we hadn’t even thought of ... unexpected things ... helpful things ... beautiful things." (Youtube)

Microsoft originally conceived Kinect as a way to enhance gaming on the Xbox, but as a blogger for the Gaming Examiner explains – a year after its release, the Kinect has become much more than that.

“After learning of the remarkable achievements made possible by early ‘hackers’ of the Kinect software, Microsoft did something remarkable, encouraged it. The software company made the software developer kit (SDK) open to the public. Allowing users to create, modify and build upon the software, enabling it to do some pretty tremendous things.”

Like gesture based surgery for example. According to the Financial Times, Microsoft has partnered with more than 200 companies in industries like healthcare, advertising, and education.

“Toyota has developed a virtual showroom that allows cars to be explored by gestures, while the Spanish technology group Tedesys has linked Kinect to a PC and monitor to allow surgeons to wave their way through patient records on screen during operations.”

A blogger for Gamespy says bring it on.

“Kinect is a terrific piece of technology, and while its gaming potential is far from fulfilled, there have already been some very cool creative applications. Looking forward to seeing how businesses put Kinect to good use.”

But a writer for the UK’s The Register is more skeptical and sarcastically envisions a future depicted by the Kinect commercial.

“...in the future, we’ll all share data on transparent view screens (no Apple logos to be seen, obviously), be able to swap data between a whole hoard of devices (presumably with no security risk), have universal natural-language translators built into eyeglasses..., and enjoy ubiquitous fast internet access for videoconferencing (obviously the video wasn’t set in America). ... El Reg isn’t holding its breath.”

And Kotaku reports it’s only a matter of time before Kinect technology shows up everywhere.

“The next steps would likely include taking that technology out of the familiar Kinect array and putting into things like cars, phones and other consumer electronics.”