Microsoft’s Garage Science Fair showcases Kinectacles and more
The Microsoft Garage Science Fair, held at Microsoft’s India Development Centre (MSIDC), is in its third year, and encourages company employees to innovate in their spare time. This year, it showcased roughly 60 projects, including a few for speech and visually impaired folks, such as Kinectacles and Kinect Bridge.
A Kinectacles prototype was shown off, pointing towards a future where camera-based spectacles would be integrated with a Kinect PCB, and speakers, using the platform’s 3D motion sensing technology to help guide the visually-impaired through indoor and outdoor areas.
Kinect Bridge would use the Kinect motion sensor to interpret sign language and body gestures of the speech and visually impaired, converting it into text or voice. It will be meant for both Windows and Xbox platforms.
Another innovation showcased at the Garage Science Fair is the My Obstetrics app for Windows Phone devices, which acts as a “personal doctor on the move” for pregnant women, providing information, and monitoring vital signs.
A Microsoft spokesperson said the Garage Science Fair has been very successful in India, with a record 60 projects being showcased. Innovations from past fairs are apparently also being used by nearly 40,000 people within the company.
Source: TOI