When Microsoft killed the original Kinect for XBOX peripheral, I was deeply disappointed as a Kinect developer. Upon introducing HoloLens 2 in 2019, Microsoft had a huge surprise for its fans: A new powerful Kinect device, named Kinect for Azure.
It was a genuine “shut up and take my money” moment. Kinect for Azure is a marvelous AI-powered device that allows developers to stream color and depth data, detect the human body joints, recognize speech, and much more.
I’ve been one of the lucky guys to receive my Azure Kinect sensor early on. Today, I am going to show you the anatomy of the Azure Kinect device and explore its hardware components.
If you want to start writing code for the Azure Kinect, refer to my Masterclass articles.
Did you know?…
As an award-winning Kinect MVP, I have been helping Fortune-500 companies and innovative startups create amazing body-tracking applications and games. If you are looking to get your business to the next level, get in touch with me.
Azure Kinect Anatomy
What if I told you that the Azure Kinect is not a single camera?
Indeed, Kinect is a container of separate hardware components assembled into one unit. Each component offers its discrete functionality. In the photos below, I am highlighting every single module. More specifically, Kinect consists of:
- 1 RGB Video Camera
- 1 Depth Sensor
- 7 Microphones
- 1 Accelerometer + 1 Gyroscope (IMU)
- 2 External Sync Pins
Kinect Front View
Looking at the device in front view, you’ll notice the RGB video camera and the Infrared depth sensor.
Kinect Back View
Kinect is connected to the computer via a dedicated USB-C port. It needs a separate power source to provide the full depth sensing capabilities.
Kinect Top View
Yeap, I disassembled the sensor, so I can take that photo!
The RGB Video Camera
The RGB video camera is a traditional webcam, like the one you have on your laptop — only MUCH more powerful! The camera supports streaming of 720p up to 4K video. The aspect ratio is configured programmatically to either 16:9 or 4:3.
Read more about the Azure Kinect Color streaming.
The Depth Sensor
The Depth sensor is a Time-Of-Flight camera that allows Kinect to “see” the world in 3D. It’s using an Infrared beam to measure the distances between physical points and the device. The Depth sensor supports Wide and Narrow fields of view.
The combination of the Color and Depth data is what allows the AI software to track the human body joints.
The Microphone Array
If you are wondering how Kinect can understand your voice commands, have a look at its microphones. Microsoft has equipped the device with not one, but seven mics that allow it to filter the noise and record crystal-clear audio.
The IMU
Kinect is aware of the world, but it’s also aware of itself. How’s that possible? Similar to your smartphone, Kinect features an accelerometer sensor to measure its orientation and a gyroscope sensor to measure rotational changes.
The External Sync Pins
Last but not least, the External Sync Pins allow you to connect multiple Kinect devices to a single computer and synchronize their data properly. That’s particularly useful if you are developing 3D scanning applications.
Summary
In this Masterclass, we explored the Azure Kinect hardware components. Now, head to my developer tutorials to get started with Azure Kinect development.
Copyright notice
The photos above have been captured by Vangos Pterneas on behalf of LightBuzz. You may use the photos as long as you mention your source. Thank you for playing fair 🙂
Before you go…
As an award-winning Kinect MVP, I have been helping Fortune-500 companies and innovative startups create amazing body-tracking applications and games. If you are looking to get your business to the next level, get in touch with me.
Sharing is caring!
If you liked this article, remember to share it on social media, so you can help other developers, too! Also, let me know your thoughts in the comments below. ‘Til the next time… keep Kinecting!
