Microsoft is going to push the Kinect into the PC world with a strong hand. They are holding a program to help 10 developers or companies with development help from Microsoft themselves, along with some capital, development kits and expert help.
Bringing the Kinect to the PC is going to really bring the “Minority Report” feel home. I really don’t like using that reference, and it is overused when it comes to the Kinect, but it is a reality. That is the best way to describe what is coming – nothing else really can describe it! With a new Kinect that can respond to gestures as close as 50cm, roughly 20 inches, it will be a non-touchscreen way to interact with your PC without a mouse and keyboard. While this isn’t for everyone, and may start out as a novelty, I’m sure that the applications that use the new technology will be very effective and possibly usher in a new era of gesture based, “hands off” interaction with your PC. We’re just waiting for that one killer app!
The ten people or startups accepted into the Kinect Accelerator program will spend three months in Seattle working out of the Kinect Accelerator office, where they will receive technical training and support and be mentored by entrepreneurs, investors and Microsoft executives. They will also get US$20,000, an Xbox development kit, and the Windows Kinect SDK (software development kit). At the end of the program, the companies will present their business ideas to angel investors, venture capitalists and the media, and potentially receive additional funding.