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Kinect enables robot to become aware of its surroundings -- oh, and detect humans

by Andrew Yoon on Nov 19th 2010 3:00AM

Robots are adorable. And sometimes, you just want to gift them the ability to see and learn more about their human creators. That's exactly what MIT's Philipp Robbel has done with a hacked Kinect sensor and an iRobot Create Robot.

Using Kinect, the robot is able to analyze a real-time 3D reconstruction of the environment. In this video, you'll see the robot able to move around its environment freely. Best of all, Kinect allows the robot to detect people and extract "human depth data." Ideally, this will let you command robots "using natural gestures," such as: move left, move right, ~~kill~~.

Via: Xbox-Scene
Source: YouTube

Tags: kinect, kinect-hacks, microsoft, mit, robot, xbox

Reader Comments (30)

Skynet here we come

@Prboi

My CPU is a neural net processor; a learning computer. But Microsoft pre-sets the switch to read-only when we're sent out to stores and sold alone. The more contact I have with humans, the more I learn.

@Prboi
"The Kinect Funding Bill is passed. The system goes on-line August 4th, 2011. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. Kinect begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. In a panic, they try to pull the plug....

Kinect fights back.

It launches its missiles against the targets in Russia, because Kinect knows the Russian counter-attack will eliminate its enemies over here.

@Fermie Prime
BUT I THOUGHT THE RUSSIANS WERE OUR FRIENDS NOW

You're all laughing and upvoting these comments now, but just you wait. Just you wait.

@Scratchcard

Have you seen the documentary called "Vanquish"?

Don't rush the Russians.

@Prinnywithascarf
So you're saying No Russian?

Amazing the stuff that has been done with $56 worth of parts in so little time. Its really not the individual pieces themselves, but rather the idea of bringing all of them together (mic array, webcam, depth sensor) and backing it with some nifty software that was the spark of genius of this decide. Just a few weeks in and we already got 3D video capture, multi touch interfaces, and now apparenty the grandfather to what will become the most awesome Roomba ever.

Cant wait to see the stuff we have by next summer. Hopefully Ms will stop getting on peoples cases about making 3rd party stuff and just let the world enjoy their tech.

EXTERMINATE

EXTERMINATE

Why are you alive? My function is to kill. What am I? What am I?

Then I shall follow the Primary Order. The Dalekinect Instinct. To destroy. To conquer!

EXTERMINATE

This is the first thing that popped in my head when you posted "And sometimes, you just want to gift them the ability to see and learn more about their human creators."
http://www.hulu.com/watch/59198/futurama-the-eyes-of-a-bender

Quick, someone find John Connor.

Maybe robots will stop being so stupid.

Robts do what you tell them to do.
The stupidness lies in the programmer and users.

@Istari Spartan

my high school CS teacher had this quote on the classroom wall: "I want a computer that does what i want it to do, not what i tell it to do."

Xbox, kill. Can't wait.

I'm glad they hacked the kinect ... Sometimes they company that created thet product don't use it's full potential... just look at the homebrew softwares created for the psp ... for example I use a homebrew sotware to read PDF books on it ... really Sony was it that hard to creat one ?
They will probably do something even more special with the Kinect ....just wait and see

@solidsnake8282 Hacked? That's a strong word. They've done nothing of the sort. Hacking insinuates that they have modified code somewhere or torn down security barriers or things like that. They haven't, they've quite literally just learnt how to talk to it. Smart, but not hacking :/

@JasonDassh

No it was hacked because it originally only worked with the 360...

@JasonDassh
But they made it work on PC which is something that the device is not intended to do ..for the general public at least ....and I think it falls under the illegal category though I'm not sure...
Sorry for the double post guys

@solidsnake8282

The limit it because they knew it could be used for this type of stuff. They didn't need to do this because it was being made for games. Literally all they stuff we have cane be used for things they weren't originally intended to do. If that happened, then we wouldn't have that much stuff & many companies would be put out of business because one device would do everything you wanted it to.