German software devs planning Kinect SDK release for PC

by Ben Gilbert on Feb 11th 2011 2:30PM

We've highlighted German developer Evoluce before for its impressive Kinect hacks, both to control Windows 7 applications and command soldiers in Ubisoft's RUSE. This time, Evoluce has announced plans to empower more hacks through the release of its software development kit for PC. The "3D-Sensing Custom Software for Kinect" -- which could, admittedly, use a better name -- promises to provide would-be devs with "core features," such as "3D virtual reality experience with full-body avatars" and "touch-free user interfaces."

A region-restricted video demonstration of the SDK is available to German viewers on Prosieben.de, but the rest of us are going to have to wait until Evoluce actually releases its kit for a chance to check it out. But who knows -- by that time, Microsoft may have gotten its own, rumored Kinect SDK together. Hurry Evoluce!

Via: KinectHacks.net
Source: Evoluce

Tags: evoluce, kinect, kinect-hacks, microsoft, pc, sdk, xbox

Reader Comments (14)

German, you're doing it wrong...

@Sandite5
In Soviet Russia, Kinect controls you!

@Sandite5 thats what she said.

@StormChaser91
...wait what?

This might get hairy since I'm guessing MS's SDK wont be free (or will require licensing) & this could be viewed as direct competition on an actual product, as opposed to just the open ability to work with the kinect like everything else has been so far. MS has stayed cool with everything thus far, but it'll be interesting to see the reaction on this none the less.

@swooded Well seeing as there was no SDK to start with they had to code everything from the ground up so I doubt there would be any grounds for MS to throw a legal hissy fit with.

@swooded Why would Microsoft's SDK not be free? Microsoft has no other paid-SDKs on Windows, so I'm unsure what your precedent is.

@PreachingLlama
It's my understanding that their SDK for Xbox live development, while free, requires that anything released be licensed by MS - that's where I was going with it. I would guess their other sdks may as welI, though I'm not sure. I admittedly don't know all there is to know about the licensing or general SDK availability for windows. At first glance, it just looks like more direct competition with what MS is planning was my main point. ie: If the MS SDK requires licensing fees vs competitive SDK released by another company not requiring MS license, it is a direct profit stream loss for MS.
I'm a 360 & Kinect owner and definitely don't want to see any legal issues come out of all the open development that's been going on - just saying it seems that this release of (somewhat) fully featured SDK could hit closer to home than most of the other tools that have been released so far & I'm interested in seeing what the reaction (if any) is from MS .

For all the guys who thought that kinect hacks where only "useless junk with no game value" but once again we are seeing that kinect is starting to get a life of it´s own... with no xbox... but with the p.c. funny......