Where will 3-D cameras like Kinect lead?

A professor of mine once gave a pretty compelling argument for why we are still a long way from using pictures in ATM security.

Imagine you have an ATM account, you fall down and cut your face, maybe break your nose.

Now you need to withdraw money for some reason. You are locked out. Now lets also say that you know someone high up that made the decision to buy these ATM machines. You tell them that you are locked out, and he's going to start wondering why he put these new machines in place.

We'll probably get there eventually, but I think we are far from that point right now.

There are so many other ways to use 3D cameras than gesture based interfaces. It doesn't have to cost a fortune either to develop new products for it.

Hehe. We'll be able to drive our cars... remotely! Not that it serves a point!

Microsoft gets a better overview of your home ;-)

Automate pro sports officiating, with hundreds of independent centimeter-resolution 3D viewpoints giving instant and precise judgements on bounds, contact, and motion issues.

For fast-moving sports like basketball, this would introduce new possibilities for tallying up net fouls realtime without a whistle constantly stopping play — somewhat like hockey's concept of delayed penalties.

variable flight path bullets.