Hacked Kinect is now a 3D video capture tool (opens in new tab)

You could also just use pretty standard scanmatching algorithms to build a model from a sequence of scans from one camera (i.e. waving it around at a reasonable rate).

each unit could broadcast the grid at different wavelengths, so they don't interfere.

The Kinect works by projecting an infra-red grid on to the room so you can't use 2 of them in the same space (unless you modify the hardware somehow)

Neat. I did something similar for my graduate thesis project a couple of years ago, but to play pool/billiards on the computer using real cue sticks (for practice and feel) http://mixedrealitybilliards.com

It's implied in the measurement video that he's feeding his captured data through a realtime 3D modelling/rendering tool. Does anyone know what that tool is?

Please keep in mind that the folks who did this did so while being threatened with prison by a cowardly anonymous Microsoft spokesperson.

I wouldn't give MS too much credit. They bought the hardware from the company that created it.

> As Microsoft sells these things highly subsidized to claim profit with on the games I see lot's of conflict potential.

http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4210649/Kinect-s-BOM...

Of the roughly $56 BOM, about $17 is attributed to the cost of the PrimeSense reference system, including the cameras, microphones and processor, UBM TechInsights said. Microsoft is planning to retail the Kinect system for $149, and stands to make a healthy profit on each unit, UBM TechInsights noted

I can see indie game developers using Kinect to do realistic motion-capture in games.

I recall seeing this issue pop up in the 'making-of' DVD for Alan Wake by Remedy. When they made their first big game, Max Payne 1, they did the storytelling in the form of a comic due partially to budget constraints. Using a hacked Kinect and cheap PC hardware, game developers could capture a huge range of motions and use video editing software to overlay the required graphics onto the captured motions.

Money is always an object. Any idea roughly what these go for?

Not only bad lighting conditions but repeating patterns, low-contrast backrounds and large areas of a single color. Kinect is far more robust than any kind of stereo vision, and at the same time far less CPU intensive.

I have a 3d printer, but not a Kinect. Range data is not very good at all at creating 3d models. What you really want is that plus a turntable so you can get multiple views. To get a printable model, you need a mesh with no holes. A single range image has lots of holes, so you can't really print the image without filling them by taking multiple images and matching them. That said, I do think I'll make a 3d scanner based on this thing.

Exactly what I thought. Also, someone's made a side-by-side video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da3iq9fnyWs

While that would be very very cool I don't think it would work with the current hardware. It works by projecting a bunch of dots on the scene in IR (so you can't see them) then tracking them with a camera. So multiple Kinects are going to confuse each other (probably, I assume so anyway).

Just got my Kinect in the post this morning, very excited about what I can do with it!