Three-Dimensional Motion Sensor for Machine Vision Systems

Microsoft’s Kinect sensor, developed for the Xbox 360 games console, could help slash costs of the machine vision systems.

The three-dimensional motion sensor facilitates real-time interaction with Xbox games without the need for physical controls, by following the movements of the games-players. Enthusiasts are exploring its potential in other uses including robotic rescue vehicles, robotic surgery, and security systems.

MVTec, a German specialist in machine vision software, has linked its Halcon 10 vision software to Microsoft’s Kinect sensor. The sensor features a 1,280x1,024 pixel color camera along with a 640x480 pixel infrared depth sensor. MVTec transforms the sensed depth image into appropriate metrical X, Y, and Z data, enabling it to be used with  Halcon software’s “operators”. The sensor assists in object matching, identification and measurement and three-dimensional vision applications including bin-picking, palletizing and packaging.

Microsoft plans to release a free software development kit (SDK) for enthusiasts to develop a software for the Kinect sensor, and explore its use, apart from gaming, in new applications.