Via Kinect Blog
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I am pleased to announce that we released the Kinect for Windows
software development kit (SDK) 1.8 today. This is the fourth update to
the SDK since we first released it commercially one and a half years
ago. Since then, we’ve seen numerous companies using Kinect for Windows
worldwide, and more than 700,000 downloads of our SDK.
We build each version of the SDK with our customers in mind—listening
to what the developer community and business leaders tell us they want
and traveling around the globe to see what these dedicated teams do, how
they do it, and what they most need out of our software development
kit.

The new background removal API is useful for advertising, augmented reality gaming, training
and simulation, and more.
Kinect for Windows SDK 1.8 includes some key features and samples that the community has been asking for, including:
- New background removal. An API removes the
background behind the active user so that it can be replaced with an
artificial background. This green-screening effect was one of the top
requests we’re heard in recent months. It is especially useful for
advertising, augmented reality gaming, training and simulation, and
other immersive experiences that place the user in a different virtual
environment.
- Realistic color capture with Kinect Fusion. A new
Kinect Fusion API scans the color of the scene along with the depth
information so that it can capture the color of the object along with
its three-dimensional (3D) model. The API also produces a texture map
for the mesh created from the scan. This feature provides a full
fidelity 3D model of a scan, including color, which can be used for full
color 3D printing or to create accurate 3D assets for games, CAD, and
other applications.
- Improved tracking robustness with Kinect Fusion.
This algorithm makes it easier to scan a scene. With this update, Kinect
Fusion is better able to maintain its lock on the scene as the camera
position moves, yielding a more reliable and consistent scanning.
- HTML interaction sample. This sample demonstrates
implementing Kinect-enabled buttons, simple user engagement, and the use
of a background removal stream in HTML5. It allows developers to use
HTML5 and JavaScript to implement Kinect-enabled user interfaces, which
was not possible previously—making it easier for developers to work in
whatever programming languages they prefer and integrate Kinect for
Windows into their existing solutions.
- Multiple-sensor Kinect Fusion sample. This sample
shows developers how to use two sensors simultaneously to scan a person
or object from both sides—making it possible to construct a 3D model
without having to move the sensor or the object! It demonstrates the
calibration between two Kinect for Windows sensors, and how to use
Kinect Fusion APIs with multiple depth snapshots. It is ideal for retail
experiences and other public kiosks that do not include having an
attendant available to scan by hand.
- Adaptive UI sample. This sample demonstrates how to
build an application that adapts itself depending on the distance
between the user and the screen—from gesturing at a distance to touching
a touchscreen. The algorithm in this sample uses the physical
dimensions and positions of the screen and sensor to determine the best
ergonomic position on the screen for touch controls as well as ways the
UI can adapt as the user approaches the screen or moves further away
from it. As a result, the touch interface and visual display adapt to
the user’s position and height, which enables users to interact with
large touch screen displays comfortably. The display can also be adapted
for more than one user.
We also have updated our Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) with
guidance to complement the new Adaptive UI sample, including the
following:

Design a transition that reveals or hides additional information
without obscuring the anchor points in the overall UI.

Design UI where users can accomplish all tasks for each goal
within a single range.
My team and I believe that communicating naturally with computers
means being able to gesture and speak, just like you do when
communicating with people. We believe this is important to the evolution
of computing, and are committed to helping this future come faster by
giving our customers the tools they need to build truly innovative
solutions. There are many exciting applications being created with
Kinect for Windows, and we hope these new features will make those
applications better and easier to build. Keep up the great work, and
keep us posted!
Bob Heddle, Director
Kinect for Windows
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