All I Need to Control my Robot Army is a Kinect

It’s no secret I love Microsoft Kinect hacks — I’ve posted videos of some on here in previous blog entries. Now I’d like to include a pair I discovered while browsing other tech sites. The first I learned about on CNET. It’s a video of a Roomba robot following gesture commands given by a human using the Kinect device as a camera. Watch below.

Controlling robots with gestures opens up a world of options. It creates new possibilities for human/robot interactions and is a step toward creating robots that can perform tasks ranging from helping us with chores to acting as a companion. It’s fascinating that the Kinect can play such an important role in robotics.

The other video I’d like to share I saw on Wired. In this video, an MIT student used the Kinect to give a robot 3-D mapping capability. The Kinect works with other elements like a range finder to explore a space and send data to a computer, which creates a virtual model of the physical space. In a way, it’s giving the robot a new power of perception. Potential uses for this technology might include emergency response robots, which could enter dangerous environments and create a 3-D map to help people plan the best way to navigate through or around the area. Again, a Roomba serves as the robot.

I love these hacks. Taking consumer products and finding new ways to push the boundaries of technology is the core of what hacking is all about. It’s sometimes surprising to learn that technological developments don’t always depend upon custom-built prototypes. You might have the ingredients to the next breakthrough in robotics in your home already!

I can’t wait to see what comes next. And I look forward to the day when I can wave my hand and send my army of robots out to do my bidding. I’ve got some big plans for the future.

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