If the features spelled out in the recently published Microsoft patent for Kinect are accurate (via Next-Gen), the motion-control device is capable of even more than Microsoft has so far revealed. As the patent shows, Kinect can supposedly recognize American Sign Language (ASL), as well as read lips and even single out individual fingers and toes on a person’s body.
Of course, the other possibility is that Microsoft isn’t holding anything back, and the patent merely shows features that were once (or still are) planned but that Kinect isn’t actually capable of doing yet. Still, the patent shows an intriguing new area Kinect could be useful for, helping hearing impaired players interact with their games.
“Where the user is unable to speak, he may be prevented from joining in the voice chat,” the patent reads. “Even though he would be able to type input, this may be a laborious and slow process to someone fluent in ASL. Under the present system, he could make ASL gestures to convey his thoughts, which would then be transmitted to the other users for auditory display.”
