Kinect Fun Labs has already launched with access to 4 gadgets and another, Sparkler, coming very soon. But it certainly doesn't end there. Kinect Fun Labs is the place for developers of all sizes -- from the lone guy in his bedroom to Microsoft's first party studios like Good Science -- to share their latest innovations. It is, to put it simply, the indie app store for Kinect users and developers.
And to kick off the next wave of titles, Microsoft have started an online election for people to vote for the next gadget to hit the labs, and they've chosen some of the best and most popular Kinect "hacks" that hit the web once Kinect was unofficially made available on the PC.
- Virtual Conductor allows players to control a piece of music; raising the volume and intensity of the strings, and changing the pitch all with the swing of an arms and a twist of the body.
- Kinect Body Art lets you loop a video feed, capturing you and your friends in 3D and superimposing the players into the next loop so that you can interact with multiple versions of yourself and others. Very trippy, I'm sure many users could get a lot of fun and experimentation out of this. Ever wanted to give yourself a high five? Then vote for this gadget!
- Hand Puppets was one of the first pieces of software to show up online when Kinect was made available for the PC by a third party, and it captured the imagination of many bedroom developers regarding the possibilities of Kinect. Ever done a shadow hand puppet on a wall? Well this brings that puppet to life, superimposing a real bird that corresponds and reacts to your hand movements.
- Digital Pin Art turns Kinect's depth image into, well, digital pin art. Turn yourself into a luminescent cloud of points and experiment with a holographic representation of yourself.
- Keyboard Anywhere lets you overlay a virtual piano on any surface, from your bedroom floor to your desk. Ever wanted to try that Big piano sequence? Now you can live your dreams. Very popular when revealed online quite a while back, this is an app we've long wanted to try on Kinect and it seems to resonate with others as well as it is leading the charge with over 100 votes more than the app currently in second place. Still a month of voting to go though!
- Music Visualizer turns you and your room into a music feedback device. Watch as the neon lines bounce and wobble to the beat. Sure to be a hit at any party, this gadget is currently sitting at second place so get voting if you want it to win.
In other gadget news Microsoft have announced that Avatar Kinect will be hitting Kinect Fun Labs in July. And Relentless Software, the developers behind hit Playstation quiz game Buzz! have signed a deal with Microsoft to create gadgets for the Kinect Fun Lab. Their first will be called Music in Motion, although we have no information about when it might be available or what it might entail.
Check back for all of the latest news from E3, and the latest Kinect Fun Labs announcements!