What would a Kinectified PC look like?
Summary: On November 4, Microsoft began selling its Kinect sensors for Xbox at retail. Gamers -- and those with a hidden inner gamer just waiting to break free without a controller -- your star ship has arrived. But what about those of us who don't care about gaming?
On November 4, Microsoft began selling its Kinect sensors for Xbox at retail. Gamers -- and those with a hidden inner gamer just waiting to break free without a controller -- your star ship has arrived.
But what about those of us who don't care about gaming (even of the non-shooter variety)? Those who don't have TVs, and/or enough room in their apartments, dorm rooms or tree houses to wave our hands and partake of the current Kinect offering? We may not have to wait all that long to derive some benefit from Microsoft's newly commercialized NUI (natural user interface).
Gallery: Xbox 360 Kinect plays without a controller
If you hearken back to those Windows 8 partner slides that leaked earlier this year, you may recall that facial recognition and proximity sensing were on the short list off NUI interactions possible by 2012 (the likely delivery date of Microsoft's next operating system release).
Want to simulate driving in a game on your "Lap PC"? The Kinect technology, incorporated into the guts of new PCs, could turn your Windows 8 slate into a virtual steering wheel. If you enter a room, wouldn't it be cool (or maybe creepy) if your PC recognized you and turned itself on? Or what if it turned itself off if you left the room, thanks to the sensor-recognition technology? Or dimmed itself if you looked down for a set period of time, engaged in another project? All of these potential scenarios were outlined in the leaked Windows 8 deck.
Of course, because it was fairly early (April 2010) when the Windows 8 deck was authored, none of these NUI technologies may end up inside Windows 8 PCs. "Possible" features don't always graduate to the final feature list. It wouldn't be the first time that the Redmondians' gesture-recognition plans were put on the back burner (as those who recall Microsoft's early Windows Mobile 7 plans may recall).
However, it is clear that Microsoft's longer term plan is to make use of Kinect or Kinect-like sensor technology into more than just its gaming consoles.
Do you want more gesture and voice recognition controls in your next PC? Would a clap-on/clap-off PC float your boat?
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.
Talkback
I agree - Microsoft Surface - Windows Touch
I think it will expand more than just sense...
I can imagine interacting with the computer via hand movements. Imagine working on a desktop, and need to go somewhere. Just "grab" your work/desktop/browser/etc and "throw" it on a tablet, that instantly powers on with the same screen you just had on your desktop.
There was a scene like this in "Avatar" that just blew me away.
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
I agree. This kind of natural input would completely negate the need for touch on the desktop.
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
to me touch on a desktop doesn't work. Nobody wants to keep stretching out to touch their monitor. Thats just as annoying as reaching for the mouse. Considering we are a culture of uber lazy and we want it now, gesturing at the screen is much faster. Heck, even better if it can detect your eye movement so you can scroll a page based on your eyes. With monitors going larger and larger and using multiple monitor desktops, dragging and dropping will be a pain to do with a mouse.
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
BTW, voice-recognition has been part of windows for years, but perfected in Win7, only most people can't affort array mics, and MSFT doesn't market voice in Windows 7 as much as they should.
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
<i>Face-recognition will be awesome, if only to lock the screen when you left your desk, and login when you return.</i>
It would be too easy to hack in with a realistic sculpted head.
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
Face Recognition has been around for a long time
Even plain old iPhoto has it.
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
With these Mics strategically placed around the house, we are getting to the Star-Trek errar where I can speak all around the house with my computer and it can recognize my commands. Home automation Nirvana I say!
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
Windows 7 already has the voice recognition built in, so can't you already do this with any regular mic setup?
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
The Future of Natural Interfaces
This great <a href=http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/10/gorilla-arm-multitouch/>Wired article</a> goes into the problems with trying to work with your hands above your heart for anything over short periods of time: your hands and arms become tired very quickly. This makes touch computing on vertical surfaces (including the type shown in the movie Minority Report), as well as Kinect type interactions with computers, impractical.
Touch computing can work fine on inclined or horizontal surfaces. Kinect type interactions are great for 10 foot experiences such as interacting with your TV, doing presentations, and doing white board stuff (particularly at a distance). I'm not all that hopeful about voice as a means of interaction. A little bit of voice interaction here and there is fine. But vocal interactions (with the aim of having rich interactions) only make sense when you are communicating with something about as intelligent as yourself. I doubt this will ever happen with computers.
Kinect PC Experiences
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
RE: What would a Kinectified PC look like?
If you get tired from gesturing too often wouldn't that be true of touch as well? In both cases your hand is leaving your keyboard and manipulating something be it air or a physical device. I much rather gesture at my screen to page down rather than reach over and stretch myself to touch the screen.