Kinect, which Microsoft unveiled in 2010, was quite impressive–it really looked like the future was here. Something that just so happens to be your whole body as a control unit, no sticks, and buttons, just the movement, jumping, dancing, and through the game, arms were shaken. For a short time, it was really enchanting. The Kinect along with one million units sold in less than a year, and it even became the fastest-selling gaming accessory of all time. But it was over. Games were not good, the performances were volatile, and the Wii from Nintendo took most of the casual gaming flares. By 2017, Microsoft had quietly discontinued it.
But there was more to come. Rather than going quietly into the night, the Kinect found a peculiar new purpose. Artists, engineers, and even ghost hunters gave it a second life nobody anticipated.
From Hype to Obsolescence
The Kinect’s ascension and demise is a tale as old as time, one of daring innovation colliding with cold reality. The motion-sensing technology was unquestionably genius, but games created to support it were unable to deliver on the promise of repeat visits. Worse, the hardware itself wasn’t always consistent gestures weren’t seen, movements misinterpreted. What was revolutionary in theory soon became a joke.
Nevertheless, within that plastic casing was something incredible: a light system with a structure that cast infrared dots around a room to create a 3D map in real time. It wasn’t ideal for gaming, but for the tinkerers, it was a treasure trove.
How the Kinect Sees (and Sometimes “Sees” Ghosts)
Fundamentally, the Kinect is a depth camera designed to detect human contours. It spews out infrared light patterns, then scans them back to identify arms, legs, and torsos whether the room is lit or not. When it believes that it detects a person, it traces a stick figure over the image, tracing a sort of digital skeleton.
That’s how it became a favorite tool in ghost hunting. Repurposed as what’s now called an SLS (Structured Light Sensor) camera, the Kinect can be pointed into an empty room, and if a stick figure shows up on screen, some investigators take it as evidence of a spirit.
Of course, the reality is more complicated. The Kinect is easily fooled by furniture, shadows, or reflections. As science host Jon Wood describes, the gadget aims to see human forms wherever it can. Point it at a chair or coat rack, and it may “see” a person there. It is even somewhat like the way our own brains function always looking for patterns, even if it means seeing faces in clouds or specters at night.
Why Ghost Hunters Love It
For ghost hunters, those idiosyncrasies aren’t bugs they’re bonuses. Ghost hunters are looking for an experience, and the Kinect’s imprecise, stuttering stick figures deliver just enough ambiguity to fuel the imagination. As Wood points out, equipment such as ancient dictaphones, EMF meters, and now the Kinect flourish in this environment because their outputs are indeterminate.
Sam Ashford, a ghost-hunting equipment supplier from SpiritShack, describes how the Kinect’s depth-sensing stick people have contributed to it becoming one of the most sought-after tools among investigators. Whether the stick people are glitches or something else entirely, the excitement of having one materialize on screen is undeniable.
The SLS Camera Craze
Now, the SLS camera typically a hacked Kinect hooked up to a tablet is a fixture of paranormal reality shows and YouTube channels. Investigators pass over empty buildings with the device, whooping as stick figures flash on the screen. To some, it’s evidence of the afterlife; to others, merely the Kinect being a bit too creative with its job.
Even though the Kinect is inexpensive and common on secondhand marketplaces, complete SLS rigs tend to sell for several hundred dollars. For some ghost hunters, the marriage of technology, intrigue, and the possibility no matter how remote of catching the inexplicable is worth it.
Skepticism and the Need for Mystery
Skeptics note the obvious: the Kinect is equally likely to be charting a mess of clothes as it is a ghost. Its algorithms are vulnerable to pareidolia the same brain’s stun, which lets us perceive faces in tree bark or animals in clouds. Light, clutter, and reflections can all mislead it.
But for the paranormal enthusiast, certainty is not the goal. Ghost hunting is about the excitement of reaching into the unknown, and the Kinect provides a great mix of science, mystery, and potential.
A Broader Legacy: Beyond Ghosts
Ghost hunters aren’t the only ones responsible for keeping the Kinect in the conversation. Artists have repurposed it as an interactive installation tool, allowing museum visitors to become part of a living art installation. Engineers have employed it to assist robots in traversing disaster areas or even space exploration. Apple’s own facial recognition tech traces back to the same structured light technology the Kinect introduced.
The Kinect saga is a reminder that technology rarely stays on the course its inventors laid out. A quirky gaming experiment spawned art, science, and robots–and, unbelievably, the supernatural. Sometimes the true story only unfolds after the product has officially been pronounced dead.
