Windows 8 Will Incorporate Kinect Motion Control

Microsoft may be planning a revolution in computer interface control in the next version of Windows. Windows 8 will include many new features including a Microsoft Kinect style interface control.

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We don’t often cover gaming platforms, but when I saw this post about the Xbox 360 and Kinect, my first thought was, that is the next step in achieving Minority Report style control over the computer.

Now, according to an Italian web site (via Microsoft Kitchen) covering Windows, Windows 8 will do just that. They found a presentation that was not intended for public consumption. It included plans for the next MS operating system with things like faster booting, push button restart, and more. But the coolest potential new feature is taking the MS Kinect control interface, which is like the Wii without the controller, and applying it to Windows. You can move things with just the swipe of your hand or login with your face. I can imagine doing certain motions with your hands or fingers to cut, copy or paste things. This would be incredible. Almost every computer these days has a camera. It would just require a decent enough camera to recognize your motions. Hopefully they will solve problems like background motion or not having to be perfectly precise with your motions. If they do, this could cause a revolution in human-computer interface. In Media Center you can fast forward by waving your hand.

Fujitsu is already demoing a similar Kinect style control on their LifeBook AH700/5A as shown in the video below. Look at the upper left of the laptop screen to see the user waving his hands to control the computer.

When can we expect this revolution on all Windows PCs, if at all? Not until 2012. In Microsoft’s slow pace, we will be lucky to see it during the first Obama term.

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