Kinect Used To Help the Visually Impaired 29
Zothecula writes "The decidedly low tech white cane is still one of the most commonly used tools to help the visually impaired get around without bumping into things. Now, through their project called NAVI (Navigation Aids for the Visually Impaired), students at Germany's Universität Konstanz have leveraged the 3D imaging capabilities of Microsoft's Kinect camera to detect objects that lie outside a cane's small radius and alert the wearer to the location of obstacles through audio and vibro-tactile feedback."
In addition, Kinect is being used to "manipulate medical images during surgery without having to leave the operating room and scrub back in," and in more artistic ways as well.
Re:Kinect (Score:3, Insightful)
All microsoft did was license the Kinect and it's software from PrimeSense and slap a badge on it.
Huge amount of respect to Microsoft (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft have quietly sat there and let people play and even gone as far as to begin the process of releasing an official Windows API for the device and the sales figures for the Kinect are through the roof. It's an amazing piece of kit.
If this had been Sony this would have been a legal fight from beginning to end.