Guest_Jim_* Posted April 29, 2015 Posted April 29, 2015 I think it is safe to say that the people behind the Kinect at Microsoft probably did not anticipate the myriad of ways people would use it. Beyond gaming the sensor has applications for robotics, cars, medicine, and much more, but it also has several limitations. Researchers at Northwestern University decided to see if they could overcome those limitations, and have with a new 3D scanning system. Both versions of the Kinect rely on projecting a pattern of light onto the environment, and capturing how it lands on objects with a camera. While this works quickly, it is not very precise compared to other methods, so the images produced are of low quality. Single-point scanners that scan a laser across an area are more precise but can be slower. To get around that the Northwestern researchers incorporated how our eyes work, which is to only update the parts of an image when they change. Another limitation of the Kinect sensor is that it cannot work outside, because Sunlight can overcome the sensor. This new sensor however uses a laser brighter than ambient light, so it can work in any environment. Source: Northwestern University Back to original news post Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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