Microsoft has injected new life into its Kinect system, a sophisticated camera vision platform. They’ve shrunk the hardware, improved the specs and now tie it to the Azure computing platform to augment it with a lot of computational horsepower on-demand.
Why is this relevant for architectural lighting?
Camera vision systems can change the way we conceive of and control architectural lighting. For an example, check out my previous concept for a conference room that morphs according to the number of occupants.
Although the original Kinect was launched by Microsoft as a gaming accessory for the Xbox, it was quickly adopted by creative studios and interactive multi-media artists as a de-facto standard platform for low cost, pro-grade camera vision applications. It was used in a wide variety of architectural, event, entertainment, and art installations (such as this example from 2011). Microsoft’s steady support for this platform will encourage its broader adoption in commercial, hospitality and retail applications.
Lucept 