Installing and Using the Kinect Sensor (Beta 2 SDK)
- Posted: Jun 16, 2011 at 9:52 AM
- 89,996 Views
- 39 Comments
Download
How do I download the videos?
- To download, right click the file type you would like and pick “Save target as…” or “Save link as…”
Why should I download videos from Channel9?
- It's an easy way to save the videos you like locally.
- You can save the videos in order to watch them offline.
- If all you want is to hear the audio, you can download the MP3!
Which version should I choose?
- If you want to view the video on your PC, Xbox or Media Center, download the High Quality WMV file (this is the highest quality version we have available).
- If you'd like a lower bitrate version, to reduce the download time or cost, then choose the Medium Quality WMV file.
- If you have a Zune, WP7, iPhone, iPad, or iPod device, choose the low or medium MP4 file.
- If you just want to hear the audio of the video, choose the MP3 file.
Right click “Save as…”
- High Quality WMV (PC, Xbox, MCE)
- MP3 (Audio only)
- Mid Quality WMV (Lo-band, Mobile)
- High Quality MP4 (iPad, PC)
- MP4 (iPod, Zune HD)
Update: Kinect for Window SDK v1 Quickstart Series now Available (Feb 1st)
Please use the newly updated Kinect for Windows SDK Quickstart series. The content below will only work with the Beta 2 version of the Kinect for Windows SDK.
This video covers the basics of installing and using the Kinect sensor. You may find it easier to follow along by downloading the Kinect for Windows SDK Quickstarts samples and slides that have been updated for Beta 2 (Nov, 2011).
- [02:34] Overview of Kinect Sensor
- [05:06] Device Manager
- [05:36] Using Kinect as an Audio Device
- [07:11] Using Kinect for Speech Recognition
Updates for Kinect for Windows SDK Beta 2 (Nov, 2011)
The video has not been updated for Beta 2, but the following changes have been made:
- The new Web site for Kinect is http://kinectforwindows.org
Installing the Kinect for Windows SDK
Download the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the Kinect for Windows SDK at http://kinectforwindows.org
Kinect Hardware Basics
The Kinect Sensor consists of the following:
- RGB Camera – A regular video camera that has a resolution of 640x480 at 30 frames per second
- 3D Depth Sensors – This is a combination of a depth projector (left reticule) and sensor (right reticule) to calculate distance. For more information, see the Tech behind Kinect video
- Motorized Tilt – The motorized tilt enables you to adjust the camera up or down 27 degrees to ensure that the camera has the best possible view of you
- Multi-Array Microphone – A four-microphone array that is mounted as a single microphone in Windows
Device manager
After installing the Kinect for Windows SDK and plugging in the Kinect to a USB port on your computer. Click Control Panel –> Device Manager. You should see Microsoft Kinect as shown below
Audio Microphone
The Kinect microphone can be used for any application that uses a microphone. In the picture below, you’ll see that you can go to Control Panel –> Sounds and select the Recording tab to see the Kinect microphone array
Using the Kinect Microphone with Windows Sound Recorder
To use Kinect as a microphone for Windows Sound Recorder, simply ensure that the Kinect microphone is setup in the Sound control panel (above) as the default sound recorder. Click the Start Recording button to start recording using the Kinect as a microphone and click the Stop Recording button to be prompted where to save your file
How to use Windows Speech Recognition with the Kinect microphone
Click Start and type “Windows Speech Recognition” and hit enter or, in the Sound control panel, right click and select Configure Speech Recognition as shown below
If you’ve never used speech recognition before, consider using the Take Speech Tutorial option and reviewing the Speech Reference Card. If you are familiar with speech recognition, select Start Speech Recognition
Since the Kinect is a microphone array, make sure to select the Other option as shown below
Once the Windows Speech Recognition application has started, your screen will display the following widget, which you can use to interact with Speech Recognition application if required
Comment on the Post
Already have a Channel 9 account? Please sign in
Follow the Discussion
High quality WMV has skips. Medium quality WMV is fine.
The "Microsoft Kinect Camera" driver will not install for me :(
Any suggestions ?
I'm on 64bit W7 Home Premium.
I cannot get the camera to work either. It is showing up in my device manager as expected, but keeps giving a null reference. No sample apps provided seem to work either. For example, the shapes app displays the "Plug in Kinect and try agin!" error.
I'm open to trying anything, was/am really looking forward to this SDK!
@Joel: Can you post more detail on what the issue is? Does the installer fail?
@PungE3:
Have you installed any other SDK or drivers for your Kinect?
Does your Kinect have a blinking green light?
Have you tried restarting your machine?
Does the device show up in Device Manager?
Can you try a different USB port?
In Device Manager, do you see:
1. Kinect Audio Array Control
2. Microsoft Kinect Camera
3. Microsoft Kinect Device?
I too am having problems installing the drivers.
My kinect is blinking with the green light, but I do not have it plugged in to a wall. (do I need too?)
The device does show up in my devices but only as kinect device and not as the seperate sources.
Thanks in advance
Never mind, I figured it out.
Plugging it in to a wall is important. With out that it does not install the video and audio drivers which are important.
@Dan: I have installed previous drivers, but uninstalled them prior to installing this SDK.
My Kinect is blinking green and is plugged into the wall.
I have restarted after trying several different configurations and have also tried several different USB ports (no hub as indicated in the read-me)
In my device manager I do see all three components (Kinect Audio Array, KInect Camera, and Kinect Device) and when I switch USB ports and check the driver installation status it seems to pick up the references to those three drivers, but it still isn't working.
Thanks for the help! It is greatly appreciated.
The Kinect is NO time-flight depth sensor!!!!
It does NOT measure the time it takes the IR light to reflect!
I think it would be technically impossible to do that.
The Kinect works according to the structured light principle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structured-light_3D_scanner
It projects the scene with a known pattern of IR dots and calculates the depth image from the transverse shift of those dots according to a reference image at a known distance. Described in the PrimeSense patent: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20100020078.pdf
@Felix: yes, we are fixing, editing video, my goof, apologies!
I had trouble getting the drivers to install until the Kinect was plugged in (both to the wall and the USB into the computer). It gave me a "NuiInitialize failed" when I tried running the Sample Skeletal Viewer. So I reinstalled the driver (64 bit) after plugging in the Kinect, and now all is well! Hopefully, this might help someone else running into the same problem.
Good show!
Make sure your Kinect power switch is connected and ON. i spent two hours on figuring out whats the problem. Even when only connected with USB your Kinect will give flashing light, which could mislead you that your power switch is on and conntected.
I am not able to install kinect sdk on a 32 bit macchine. The error shown is "INuiInstanceHelper.dll was not available". Please suggest something. Though i was able to install it on a 64 bit machine. Still , not on a 32 bit.....
got it....installing service pack 1 does the job!!!
Did anyone know where could we get more Kinect C# samples..
Hi, i`m from mexico city and i wanna know how can i use the kinect as a mouse, please can you help me?
I, for some reason, cannot locate Microsoft.Speech framework in my .NET tab in C# visual studio. I have an up-to-date .NET install. Not sure why this is a problem.
Anyone else facing this absolutely debilitating problem?
You should install Microsoft Speech Platform SDK.
This URL helps you
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=10208
How can I use Kinect SDK with PCL. I tried installing the SDK http://varuagdiary.blogspot.com/2011/08/installing-kinect-on-windows-7-64-bit.html but was not able to integrate it with the PCL library
Hi since a kinect is a microphone with a camera, can i use another camera with the kinect framework to process the images? thanks.
Why did they make the orange cable not just a usb? Can you answer that without saying profit?
@The come on pessimist, I think it has to do with current draw, the usb spec only allows 500mA to be transfer over the connection. Many usb ports on computers support more but by design they do not have to.
The Kinect has probably draws more than that so instead of causing trouble they made it so that you need an extra power cable.
Its the same reason external laptop drives come with a cable with 2 USB-A plugs on one end.
The power cable could also be providing different voltages too, I have not taken a DMM to my cable yet to say for sure.
Its awesome to use kinect with your own code. long live microsoft
I did everything as described, uninstalled any previously installed drivers, I have the blinking green light, I also see everything in the device manager as it should be. My audio works, but my video doesn't.
Can anyone be so kind to help me? I'm at a loss here.
i m trying to install SDK but every time getting an error that "error to writing file:microsoft.research.kinect.dll.verify that you have access to that directory" after that i click on retry then got an error of "the installer encountered an unexpected error installing this package.This may indicate a problem with this package.Error code is 2350"
please help me out :(:(
i m trying to install SDK but every time getting an error that "error to writing file:microsoft.research.kinect.dll.verify that you have access to that directory" after that i click on retry then got an error of "the installer encountered an unexpected error installing this package.This may indicate a problem with this package.Error code is 2350"
please help me out :(:(
Danish I have the same problem! :(
Sir,
I need to conect the KINECT with my laptop USB. But the port size and the kinect cable conector size is different. Is there a way for this.
Thanks.
Hi, I was just wondering if using kinect on my PC would stop it working on my xbox. I would appreciate a answer, I don't want to break it!!!!
merci pour tout mes serer til possible davoir des nouveau driver pour la kinet merci davance
Can get the Skeletal Viewer demo to work, but not the Audio Demo. Gives an error message regarding the KinectAudioDevice not found. The speech SDK and runtime (32 & 64-bit) are installed on a pc running 64-bit Windows 7.
Does Windows 7 Service Pack 1 need to be installed on either a 32-bit or 64-bit machine for the audio portions to work??
@danish
Fabianna: try to install Visual Studio C# Express before.
"Error code 2350" issue
@Natu - the cord that connects your kinect to your Xbox is not a USB2 cable. If you didnt get the adaptor when you bought the kinect, you will have to buy one separately. They are called Xbox Kinect Power Adapters: http://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/accessories/xb360-kinect-power-adaptor/89703
@Oliver - Yes it will still work for your Xbox. It will not break your kinect. The only way it could break is if you make a program that uses the inner motor, then you will have to be careful.
The video (High Quality MP4 (iPad, PC)) seems to be lagging in my iPad2.
Anyone else have the same problem on iPad2?
I dont have windows 7 and it keps teling me i cant download is there any other way i can connect my kinect without windows 7?
I Can see the video...
even can see all three hardware drivers in the device manager but cant see the Microphone Array in the Recording section of the Sound???
to see the screen shot...
http://www.merawindows.com/Blogs/tabid/274/EntryId/171/Cant-Use-The-Kinect-Microphone.aspx
Hi I am trying to program using the Microsoft Kinect sdk, but while adding the reference for a program, i cant find the . dll files that are necessary for reference. Can anyone help me out. I have tried restarting my system, uninstalling and installing several times. I have a project to be submitted but i am still in the troubleshooting phases.:(
@Zappy:Did you install the new Kinect SDK? If so, watch this series of Quickstarts since there are a number of changes, including a different DLL that you'll need to use - http://channel9.msdn.com/Series/KinectQuickstart
Remove this comment
Remove this thread
close