A day in the life of Kinect for Windows
There’s no disputing that Microsoft is a big company. But along with that big company status comes an incredible dedication and investment in research and development, which in turn leads to innovative technology breakthroughs. Case in point: Kinect for Xbox 360. The fastest selling consumer electronic device ever.
But what’s next for Kinect? And who at Microsoft is tasked with taking it to the next level? Well, you are in luck. We asked the K4W (that’s “Kinect for Windows” for those not in the know) team to photo-document a day in their life. Follow along as we discover what it’s like to work on a small startup team, what they create and, of course, the ever burning question – are they hiring?
Studio D is the home of the newly formed K4W team. Their task? Build on the success of Kinect for Xbox 360 by creating a commercial SDK for Windows developers to harness the awesomeness of this technology to develop next generation natural user interfaces and Kinect powered controls for Windows. Whew – that was a mouthful!
Now let’s open the door and find out more about the team.
Who is this person with the crazy grin? That’s Craig, K4W’s fearless leader. He’s been described as a leader who values diversity in his team members. And that’s not just lip service to a popular buzzword. In order to make Kinect for Windows a viable product for all, they are looking for people to join the team from all different backgrounds and experiences. These varying viewpoints make a great consumer experience exceptional.
That’s all good, but why is he smiling anyway? Aside from the fact that he is enjoying a remarkably good coffee with his team on a beautiful day, he just found out that someone accepted a Senior Software Development Engineer position on his team. This person will be responsible for collaborating with our Kinect for Xbox and Microsoft Research teams and the development of the next generation of NUI (new user interface) platform for users and developers.
This is Kiran – a Senior Software Development Engineer. Right now, as the team is still growing, he is responsible for drivers and low level framework. As they start adding more people to the group, they will be looking to round out the dev team with people who have experience with Windows development using C/C++, as well as developing native and managed code. They are also hoping to find people with expertise in 3D graphics and developing SDKs and UI frameworks. Are you that person?
No, this isn’t one of those motivational posters. It’s the view right outside K4W’s offices. True: it’s spectacular, but this team offers more than just pretty window dressing. There are two truly unparalleled opportunities working with K4W – the chance to make your mark on a new product AND the opportunity to be part of small team that has all the feelings of a startup with all the perks of working at Microsoft.
Oh, they are also a ton of elephant fun. But don’t take our word for it. Just look at the group shot to the left. Who wouldn’t want to work with a team willing to don feather boas for a picture that will be posted online? So – what do you think? Are you ready to join the circus?
K4W is hiring! If you are interested in a position with this newly developing team, take a moment to check out their latest job postings!
Hey ‘Softies - Interested in having your team and open positions Microspotted? Email us at spotted@microsoft.com and just say “no” to boring job descriptions!
7 Comments
Horace Highland Jr said:
I'm really proud of the showing that Microsoft put forth at this year's E3 Expo! It is truly great to see the company encouraging developers to take advantage of the technology behind KINECT and the next wave of games for both the XBOX 360 and KINECT platform look truly exciting! I also like the fact that new uses for how to take advantage of the existing XBOX 360 technology were unveiled - no gimmicks, no grandiose promises of developer support for new and unproven consoles, just real examples of how the XBOX 360 technology will be used to provide the next wave of interactive entertainment in the near future! Thank you for continuing to raise the bar on innovation and give true "gamers" like myself something to look forward to :)
Irene said:
Wow!! Just wow!
Cheers to microsoft
Oil and Gas Jobs said:
I have one question that how much space required for installation?
jobsblog said:
Hi Oil and Gas Jobs,
The unit itself does not take up very much space. You should set the sensor between two to six feet off the floor and centered with your TV, higher is generally better. If your were asking about how much space you need to play, we recommend standing six feet away from the sensor for a 1 player game. For two players, you both should be at least eight feet away. You can find more information at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.xbox.com/en-US/Kinect">www.xbox.com/.../Kinect</a>
Thanks for your question!
The Jobsbloggers
Oil and Gas Jobs said:
OK, I am not having problem of space. I will try this instruction with my XBOX360. Thanks for sharing.
Omar Valerio said:
I will be giving a try of the Kinect platform from the user perspective next year. There is a network exploring application that we are looking to enhace with some nice navigation capabilities a la Kinect. Right now I am doing a little research for the project and I found about the Kinect team currently hiring.
I wonder what will be my chances to join Kinect given I am not a US citizen (Mexican), and I am living abroad (UK).
Other questions are wether we could expect a Java SDK for the Kinect platform and if the two person tracking is a hard or soft limit.
Regards,
--
Omar V.
Tom said:
I'm psyched about the Kinect-for-Windows movement. As awesome as Kinect is as a game input device, what it can be when connected to a computer, with the right custom software, is astounding.
In the past, I played with some of the stuff you can find over at KinectHacks.net. I've just downloaded the Beta of your SDK, and can't wait to try it out tonight.
Question: Is there someone I can send my resume to for review? I'd like to apply for one of the job openings you guys have, but I'm not sure where I'd fit best.
thanks,
Tom