Project Kinect for Azure

2018: Announcement

On May 7, 2018 Microsoft announced revival of the Kinect project (officially it is closed in October of the 2017th), however in a new type it will be used not in games, and in business — first of all in drones and other robots who need computer vision.

Microsoft provided Project Kinect for Azure — a set of sensors including cameras with sensors of depth of new generation with built in computer controlled. The provided product is developed for implementation of technology artificial intelligence in peripheral devices.

Project Kinect for Azure

Created based on the Kinect technologies which found the continuation in a helmet of augmented reality HoloLens, Project Kinect for Azure offers new scenarios for the solutions AI developers designed "realize" surrounding space, says Microsoft.

Project Kinect for Azure provides carefully worked tracking of movements of hands and ultraprecise space mapping thanks to the Time of Flight sensor  and additional sensors implementing advanced opportunities of the analysis.

As explained Microsoft in the official blog in LinkedIn, Project Kinect for Azure integrates depth sensor with Azure AI services therefore developers can create even more exact devices with smaller energy consumption. Add to the companies that the deep training used for image processing will help to create "AI algorithms, cheaper in terms of implementation" which will be need only small networks.

Within the conference Microsoft announced the AI for Accessibility program in which it invests $25 million. Within five years the company will invest money in development of new technologies  based on artificial intelligence for the help to physically disabled people. It is supposed that Kinect technologies will become one of means of the help to disabled people.^[1]

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