Kinect Open Source Programming Secrets: Hacking the Kinect with OpenNI, NITE, and Java

by Andrew Davison

The Kinect motion-sensing device for the Xbox 360 and Windows became the world's fastest-selling consumer electronics device when it was released (8 million sold in its first 60 days) and won prestigious awards, such as "Gaming Gadget of the Year." Now Kinect Open Source Programming Secrets lets YOU harness the Kinect's powerful sensing capabilities for gaming, science, multimedia projects, and a mind-boggling array of other applications on platforms running Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Dr. Andrew Davison, a user interface programming expert, delivers exclusive coverage of how to program the Kinect sensor with the Java wrappers for OpenNI and NITE, which are APIs created by PrimeSense, the primary developers of the Kinect's technology. Beginning with the basics--depth imaging, 3D point clouds, skeletal tracking, and hand gestures--the book examines many other topics, including Kinect gaming, FAAST-style gestures that aren't part of standard NITE, motion detection using OpenCV, how to create gesture-driven GUIs, accessing the Kinect's motor and accelerometer, and other tips and techniques. Inside:

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2012

About the author

Andrew Davison (DPhil, University of Oxford) is the tutor in doctrine at Westcott House, University of Cambridge, in Cambridge, England. He has taught theology at St. Stephen’s House, Oxford, and is known for his writing on doctrine, mission, and the church. He is coauthor of For the Parish: A Critique of Fresh Expressions and joint editor of Lift Up Your Hearts.