Azure Kinect developer kit hits general availability, preorders begin shipping

Ahead of the start of the Microsoft Inspire briefing's official offset adjacent week, Microsoft has announced that its Azure Kinect developer kit (DK) is at present generally available. The kit initially went upwardly for preorder in Feb for $400, but it'southward now ready for all developers to cheque out.

While Kinect ended up being a consumer failure in the gaming infinite, Microsoft has continued to meliorate upon the engineering science for business organisation applications. Azure Kinect was born out of those efforts, using computer vision engineering science to back up new applications by Microsoft's business partners.

The Azure Kinect DK unit of measurement includes a 12MP RGB camera paired with a 1MP depth photographic camera. Combined with a 360-degree microphone array and an orientation sensor, the unit can exist used for "building advanced computer vision and voice communication models." And just like the Xbox Kinect before it, Azure Kinect can be used for "sophisticated body tracking." of multiple people.

Microsoft says it'southward already seeing some interesting uses of Azure Kinect in the business space. Ocuvera, for example, is using the camera in hospital rooms to monitor patients. The depth sensor tin be used to run across if someone is just rolling over in their bed or trying to stand up, which tin assistance nurses get to a room earlier patients potentially fall out of bed.

The Azure Kinect DK is now generally available in the U.S. and China, and it will brainstorm shipping to those who preordered now. Microsoft Inspire is set to begin on July xiv, with the opening keynotes scheduled for July 15. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Brad Smith will have the stage on July 17.

Reborn for Azure

Azure Kinect DK

Microsoft'due south new Azure sensor gets its developer kit.

Azure Kinect DK is a developer kit and PC peripheral that contains a best-in-form 1MP depth camera, 360˚ microphone array, 12MP RGB camera, and orientation sensor for edifice advanced figurer vision and voice communication models.

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