Kinect for Windows SDK released

As expected, Microsoft has released the first beta version of the Kinect for Windows SDK. The SDK will allow developers, hobbyists and academics the tools to create and build PC applications that make use of the Xbox 360 Kinect sensor. The SDK offers access to the raw data streams from sensors in the Kinect, including the depth sensor, color camera sensor, and microphone array.

The Kinect for Windows SDK beta will include drivers, rich APIs for raw sensor streams and human motion tracking, installation documents, and resource materials. It provides Kinect capabilities to developers who build applications with C++, C#, or Visual Basic by using Microsoft Visual Studio 2010.

The limitations for the Kinect for Windows SDK include:

* This is Windows 7 only, for now at any rate

• Its use is limited to non-commercial and academic usage

You can download the SDK here.