Boffins build medical control centre with Kinect

Microsoft's Xbox 360 Kinect add on isn't just for gaming. Swiss scientists have used open source drivers to develop a prototype remote control mechanism for medical equipment. The experimental rig uses both gestures and voice commands, as the following video from the developers, at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the …

[Anonymous Coward]

yeah

"Microsoft's Xbox 360 Kinect add on isn't just for gaming"

Because it's shit for that.

Below is a link to the only thing I've seen that actually impressed, but it requires an additional and very expensive VR setup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDlvn3voblQ

Although all kinecet is doing in that respect is 3D skeletal mapping of arms, body, head, and legs, which is the one thing Kinect can do that is good, but it comes at a massive processing overhead (hence the massive lag in games that use it).

[Cameron Colley]

Only for use outside the US?

Wouldn't this be illegal in the US and the UK due to the DMCA and the UKs "aiding and abetting copyright infringement" law (or whatever the bollocks is called)?

Or have Microsoft decided they are not going to “continue to make advances in these types of safeguards and work closely with law enforcement and product safety groups to keep Kinect tamper-resistant.”?

Personally I wish people would stop hacking systems by companies who are so litigious and anti-innovation. Why the hell are people paying MS money for a product when Microsoft may later use it to pay lawyers to sue them? Can't someone develop this kind of thing using a cheapo generic "3D" camera instead?

[Anonymous Coward]

Two points

1.) Even in the US you can't copyright hardware - that abomination of a law called the DMCA can theoretically (although to my knowledge this has not been tested in court) allow criminal prosecution (not civil, which means the government filing the charges not MS) for hardware modifications that allow circumvention of copyright controls but there is no angle for that here that I can see.

2.) You can sign up as a developer with Prime Sense (the company who developed and own the core tech in the Kinect) and get a reference device from them. I believe it is missing the tilt control motor and the microphone array.

[Anton Ivanov]

Wrong subheading

The subheading should be: Forceps. Scalpel. Clamps. Pink Slip.

The Pink Slip is for the senior nurse or junior radiologist which is driving the gear at the moment based on bog standard voice "input" from the surgeon.

[Anonymous Coward]

NO KIDING! a taxi driver who tell you he have to look at the A to Z first?

would you jump into a taxi whose driver tell you he have to look at the A to Z first?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yates, Yates he called!

Especially if all taped up with two cups of tea, never mind the bus route.

[Anonymous Coward]

Just for the sake of it - Use Kinect!

"The Vitopsy rig would allow the surgeon to access crucial patient data while working"

Because surgeons currently don't have access to crucial patient data while working?

[Michael 43]

MS sponsored promotion ?

Kinect.. i question the accuracy of the system, as apposed to somehting tactile.. would you rely on in say for a surgery or something.. This must be something sthat has been paid off by MS to promote Kinnect..

[Anonymous Coward]

MS Sponsored?

Nah, it's just some Uni prost grad project where they are supposed to come up with something that could have a commercial edge to it.

Kinect is easy to do this with because they can take practically ANY existing system, take the mouse away and bolt together a Kinect based interface based on gestures.

You'll see a lot more of this "revolutionary" crap before the fad ends.

[Robert Carnegie]

Also probably in the licence,

most likely you are not allowed to use Kinect in a situation where if it goes wrong somebody gets hurt. Air traffic control or nuclear power plants might be mentioned.

[Raggs]

S*** for gaming?

Have to say I'm having a great time with mine, bought it 4 days ago. My aunties have just had a great game of bowling (embarrassingly beating my best scores :(). And my other half has a great time with it too.

Great for coming home from the office to do something active in the comfort of my own home. Fine, at the moment theres no "hardcore" games, but there's a lot of fun ones :D.