Microsoft released the second beta version of its Windows Kinect SDK a few days ago but this week a third party company, Evoluce, has offered up a beta SDK of its own that will work with Microsoft's motion controller camera/sensor. You can download the SDK from Evoluce's web site along with a demo showing how the SDK helped to create a "motor sports" demo that allows people to manipulate the user interface on screen just by waving a hand.
The SDK, which only works with Windows 7-based PCs, is free to download but is only to be used for non-commercial applications. Like Microsoft' own Kinect SDK, Evoluce has already announced plans to release a commercial version of its own Kinect development software "at a later date".
It's currently unclear how Evoluce's SDK differs from Microsoft's own Kinect development tools for Windows 7. Microsoft's second beta release earlier this month added some new features such as "faster skeletal tracking, better accuracy rate when it comes to skeletal tracking and joint recognition, and the ability to plug and unplug your Kinect without losing work/productivity."
With two competing SDKs for the Kinect device, it stands to reason that a friendly rivalry could very well take place between Microsoft and Evoluce for the hearts and minds of third party Kinect developers. Ultimately it will come down to the tool's ease of use and the support that both companies will give to developers who work with the SDKs.
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