Xbox One Kinect: Microsoft details “new level of realism,” and non-game applications

Xbox One's Kinect sensor was the focus of a recent GDC Next session which saw Microsoft's senior program manager Ben Lower showcase the device's wider potential beyond games. He promised that the device will offer a, “new level of realism."

Reporting on the session, dubbed "The Next Generation of Kinect," IGN quoted Lower as saying, "I hope people are inspired by the future of Kinect and the direction that we’re going in as a company, the investments that we’re making and how that’s unlocking new scenarios for games, but also new scenarios outside of gaming. Outside of the living room."

Re-capping a shopping list of recurring features, Lower re-iterated that Xbox One's Kinect can detect up to six people at once, which he reckons will make for, "amazing opportunities for building richer and more engaging experiences," and added that the new version of Kinect for Windows is capable of capturing colour images at 1080p, allowing for a, “new level of realism.”

Lower demonstrated himself using the sensor to photobomb a friends photo on Facebook. using methods he called, “green screen without a screen.” He apparently snapped himself then placed the image into his friend's photo seamlessly within moments, then used multiple images to create a 3D 'fly-around' model of himself.

The demo also showcased emotional recognition tools that enable Kinect to track a gamut of expressions, as well as tracking “full joint orientation and rotation."

He concluded that while Xbox One can only support one Kinect device at a time, PCs will be able to hook up several sensors at once. During the following Q&A session he added that Xbox One Kinect 'might' be able to read lips, but couldn't say for certain.

What do you make of the above?