Microsoft's official blog has announced that a free, "non-commercial" Windows SDK for developing for applications using the company's Kinect motion sensing system will be available for download "this spring" (that's our autumn for the hemispherically challenged).
The blog entry by Microsoft's Steve Clayton states, "The community that has blossomed since the launch of Kinect for Xbox 360 in November shows the breadth of invention and depth of imagination possible when people have access to ground-breaking technology. Already, researchers, academics and enthusiasts are thinking through what’s next in natural and intuitive technology."
Among the examples of the innovate uses found for Kinect so far, which ships with the Xbox 360 games console, the blog cites US researchers exploring its possible use in telesurgery.