Kinect for Xbox 360 is a wonderful controller-free device that allows you much more than just play games. This innovative device sold for mere $150 provides us with a cheap way to bring 3D vision and senses to robots. Hacking has never been so easy with an open-source USB and a Software Development Kit announced by Microsoft for non-commercial use.
Kinect was actually developed by PrimeSence developing company located in Israel. Kinect projects IR laser on all the objects within the area. Infrared sensor incorporated in the system catches the laser and defines a distance for all pixels. All the information received through the sensor is afterwards mapped on RGB camera image. As a result, every pixel receives certain color and defined distance that are utilized to track all our movements, gestures and positions. Kinect opens up incredible possibilities for robot developers and anyone else interested.
In this article we offer you 10 most amazing robotic Kinect hacks that illustrate the device’s broad capabilities:
1. Quadrotor. Developers bolted Kinect sensor device to the Quadrotor. As a result, it avoids obstacles and navigates in the room with a help of 3D maps.
2. Roomba with Kinect. Roomba is an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner that can be easily controlled through Kinect sensor. Why vacuum when you can have so much fun?
3. AVA by iRobot. iRobot, leading mobile robots provider, connected 2 Kinect sensors to iRobot Ava. First sensor helps Ava navigate and the second sensor allows it to recognize gestures and motions.
4. Bilibot. Bilibot is an affordable robotic platform for various purposes that was enhanced with Kinect sensor. Now you can buy a DIY robot with eyes, navigation skills and bran for less than $650.
5. Gesture-based surgery. Gesture-based control of a surgical tool though DaVinci robotic system. Only for people with really steady hands!
6. Kinect on PR2. PR2 robot by Williow Garage features 3D cameras and a nice Kinect sensor hat. Thanks to Kinect, researches can control arms of a robot directly.
7. NAO robot and Kinect. This humanoid robot with both Wii and Kinect controllers cuts a banana with a knife.
8. Kinect-enabled mini cars. During the Grand Challenge for autonomous cars, numerous crazy controllers were used to navigate the robot cars. Thanks to Kinect, these autonomous mini-cars go down the road smoothly.
9. Delta Robot. There is something wrong with this Delta Robot using Kinect sensors. Quite funny and a little bit scary to watch.
10. Scanning of 3D objects. Kinect enables robots to map 3D objects. That results in such detailed and precise models of people.
