Microsoft offers Kinect code samples under open source
The software giant, hoping to get more developers writing PC applications to use its motion-sensing controller, is offering some pieces of code under an Apache 2.0 license. — Kinect for Windows sensor
Context & Ripple Effects
Microsoft had already put a Kinect for Windows SDK beta in developers’ hands in 2011. Licensing code samples under Apache 2.0 extends that PC-development push by making implementation examples easier to reuse and modify.
The move frames Kinect’s value less as a standalone motion controller and more as a Windows development surface: Microsoft needs third-party applications to give the sensor reasons to be deployed beyond its original audience.
First-order effects
- Windows developers can reuse and adapt Microsoft’s Kinect code samples under Apache 2.0, reducing the effort required to prototype PC motion-sensing applications.
- Microsoft gives Kinect for Windows a more permissive developer on-ramp, while Kinect buyers gain a wider potential pool of software built around the sensor.
Second-order effects
- Kinect application developers can build differentiating interfaces from a shared code base rather than starting with low-level sensor integration, concentrating competition on application design.
- Microsoft’s Windows ecosystem has a stronger incentive to treat Kinect support as a software opportunity, not merely a hardware accessory feature.
Third-order effects
- If Microsoft keeps pairing SDK access with permissive sample licensing, Kinect’s adoption will depend increasingly on a third-party application ecosystem rather than Microsoft-authored experiences alone.
The trend: Motion-sensing hardware is being positioned as a developer platform, with reusable code serving as distribution for the underlying device.