Update: As said in comments, Engadget publishes Microsoft's CVP Ilan Splillinger explanations on Kinect sensor: "The highlight of the story is the CMOS sensor, which we developed internally. This design was done completely, 100 percent on this site. This is brand-new technology. There is discontinuity between this technology and the first Kinect; from the technology perspective that we are using for depth, for 3D measurement. So this was done here. On this one, this was a complete Microsoft custom design, where our engagement is directly with the manufacturer. It's not with any third party. We did the work. We do the qualification of the parts. We do the validation of the parts. We have done everything on this one."
Update #2: Wired published Kinect internals picture (Thanks to JP for the link!):
looks like MSFT designed their sensor (along with 4 other silicons in-house)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.engadget.com/2013/05/21/building-xbox-one-an-inside-look/
"The highlight of the story is the CMOS sensor, which we developed internally," Spillinger says. "This design was done completely, 100 percent on this site. This is brand-new technology. There is discontinuity between this technology and the first Kinect; from the technology perspective that we are using for depth, for 3D measurement. So this was done here. On this one, this was a complete Microsoft custom design, where our engagement is directly with the manufacturer. It's not with any third party. We did the work. We do the qualification of the parts. We do the validation of the parts. We have done everything on this one."
Regarding pulse measurement with RGB channels:
ReplyDeletehttp://boingboing.net/2013/04/16/detect-your-pulse-with-your-we.html
I suppose this is related to the Canesta acquisition, in which case hurray! for that team!
ReplyDeleteIt's extraordinary! Bravo to Microsoft!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Microsoft/Canesta folks! We knew TOF would prevail over structured light!
ReplyDeleteMS TOF chip was not "internally" developed, but acquired from Canesta. So this comment is as truthful as Microsoft saying DOS was "internally developed" (it was acquired from someone else) and the Windows look and feel was developed internally (while it was "acquired" from HP Labs via Apple). I wonder what else they will claim?
ReplyDeleteNo one mentions Canesta's investors, who lost money miserably as the company first went through multiple rounds and mini rounds of funding and empty promises, only to come up broke and be sold dirt cheap to MSFT for their IP and their engineering team. Glad MSFT is happy with it. They got it at a bargain. Any investor who put a dime in that company wished they never had. That team failed miserably in delivering.
ReplyDeleteNot quite true Anon, you come off as a little bitter. The later round investors did well in fact.
ReplyDeleteThe promises in fact were not empty as the MSFT Kinect v2 did ship in fact, and apparently, from above reports, using Canesta ToF tech.