Microsoft, the tech giant, recently announced that its Azure Kinect Developer Kit, a $399 perception system for speech solutions & computer vision, will be available for shipping to pre-order customers in the U.S. and China, report sources.

Reportedly, Azure Kinect has a 1,024 x 1,024 pixel (1-megapixel) depth sensor, like the same time-of-flight sensor developed for the second generation of HoloLens AR visor, along with a 12-megapixel high-depth camera & 3-D 7-microphone display, all in a 5 inches long package with thickness of 1.5 inches that altogether draws less than 950 megawatt of power.

Developers can switch the field of view with the help of a global shutter & automatic pixel gain selection. Also, the Developer Kit works with a range of compute types that can be used together to provide a panoramic understanding of the environment.

Julia White, corporate V.P. of Microsoft Azure reportedly said in statement, prior to the announcement, that Azure Kinect is a smart, ground-breaking device, that does not just hear or see, but understands the environment, people, objects, as well as their actions. She added saying that it makes sense to create a new device, only when the company has unique technology or capabilities for enabling the industry to move forward.

As per credible sources, the Azure Kinect has been launched 9 years after Microsoft initially released the Kinect for its Xbox 360 console, as a motion-sensing gaming support. Unlike the original Kinect, Azure Kinect is all business. The product is meant to give developers a platform to experiment with AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools & plug into Azure’s ecosystem of machine learning services.

According to sources close to the matter, the company is planning to position the device as an opportunity for its users in life sciences, health, retail, robotics & logistics to start experimenting with machine learning using depth sensing.

Source credit: https://venturebeat.com/2019/07/11/microsofts-azure-kinect-developer-kit-begins-shipping-in-the-u-s-and-china/