The Kinect Accelerator: Microsoft gives startups money for Kinect hacks

Microsoft is once again embracing the Kinect hacking community by announcing “The Kinect Accelerator“, an initiative aimed at encouraging innovation using Kinect natural user interface technologies in new implementations.

The contest will see ten teams/startups chosen through a competitive screening process who will then receive $20,000 each in funding to create a Kinect-powered application for Xbox or Windows.

Teams will each get an Xbox development kit, the Windows Kinect SDK, technical training and support, as well as mentorship from industry professionals including Microsoft execs. They will also get office space to work out of during the three month long program from March to May 2012, ending with each company presenting their creations to “angel investors, venture capitalists, Microsoft executives, media and industry influentials” at an Investor Demo Day.

What kind of applications might developers create? Well, other than requiring it be a viable commercial business, Microsoft’s pretty much leaving it up to your imagination, saying it could be anything from “manufacturing to retail, education to healthcare, art installations to gaming, social to interactive play”. They do mention possible mobile integration and cloud-hosted applications. We’ve already seen a Kinect-powered GLaDOS doing Siri-like voice control, so the possibilities are pretty much endless. It will certainly be interseting to see in May what creations come of the program.

A quick visit to the Kinect Effect page shows us how the tech is already being used in interesting applications.

For example, therapists at Lakeside Center for Autism are utilizing Kinect games in therapy sessions, while doctors are using Kinect technology to control CAT scans and MRIs using motion-sensing gestures.

There are no shortage of projects utilizing Kinect technologies, especially in robotics, like the video below showing a robotic, Kinect-powered seeing eye dog.

Microsoft notes that your company doesn’t need Kinect and Xbox development experience and is already accepting applications here. If you’re interested in learning more, you can visit the Kinect Accelerator FAQ here.

Written By Jordan Kahn

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