Summary
- An Xbox Kinect has found new life in the medical field as a camera for CT scans.
- Despite being discontinued by Microsoft, Kinect has continued to find its uses.
A gamer has spotted an Xbox Kinect serving a different purpose than expected. While it's not the first time the Kinect has been seen not attached to an Xbox, stories about how it has a new lease on life in other fields are always good to hear.
Microsoft launched the Kinect for the Xbox 360 back in 2010 to try and change the way games were played. After Nintendo had a huge hit with the groundbreaking Wii and its motion-sensing controller, the Kinect was Microsoft's attempt to go all in on full-body motion by doing away with the controller entirely. However, the motion capture nature of Kinect games ended up pigeonholing many of them into a certain playstyle, which was why it didn't really take off with most hardcore gamers. It wasn't long before Microsoft discontinued support for it.
The Kinect Can Be Used in a Hospital, Too
Redditor King_hack9 posted on r/mildlyinfuriating a photo of a Kinect he saw serving as the camera for a CT scan machine. A CT scan entails taking highly detailed x-ray images of the body, and the medical field has apparently deemed the Kinect camera powerful enough for this purpose. While this may seem surprising, other Redditors have shared in the comments facts and stories about how the Kinect camera is good enough for scanning and mapping images in architecture, interior design, engineering, and the like.
Although Microsoft completely discontinued support for the device back in 2017, a quirky indie game released in 2021 surprisingly had Kinect support. Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator for the PC, available on Steam, is compatible with the Kinect, and may technically be the last-ever game for the peripheral. Before that, a mod for Grand Theft Auto 5 also provided Kinect compatibility. Aside from these interesting tidbits, there's really no demand for Kinect-powered games anymore.
Other than the fact that the device enabled a playstyle that wasn't really wanted, the Kinect had other problems it brought with it. There were some privacy issues involved as Microsoft could allegedly listen to audio recordings of Kinect owners talking to their devices. The company justified it as feedback collection in order to improve future technology, and no major controversy came from it.
Microsoft Xbox Series X
- Brand
- Microsoft
- Battery
- 2 x AA (LR6) Batteries (Included)
The Xbox Series X boasts the fastest CPU and GPU configuration currently available for a current-generation console while offering 1TB of fast SSD storage for users out of the box.
It comes with an Xbox Series S|X controller, a power cord, and documentation along with a trial for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in the box.
- Dimensions
- 301 mm × 151 mm × 151 mm
- Weight
- 9.7 lbs