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Kinect to ScratchX

Code for Kinect v1 with ScratchX.org!

Kinect2Scratch for Kinect v1 to ScratchX.org

Kinect 2 Scratch makes it easy to make Kinect v1 (Xbox 360 version) games and applications in Scratch, the easy to use programming environment from the Lifelong Kindergarten Lab in MIT. This is a special version I wrote in an afternoon for Susan Ettenheim and one of her students. The Kinect v2 version is also available here.

Prerequisites

You will need a PC with USB 2.0 and Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10. You will also need a Kinect v1. This is the available in Xbox 360 and Windows versions - both will work as long as the Kinect has an electricity plug.

Instructions

  1. Download and install Kinect SDK 1.8 Drivers
  2. Plug in your Kinect to the wall (electricity) and PC (USB), wait for your PC to finish installing the new device
  3. Download Kinect2Scratch.exe file and put it somewhere you'll find it again (doesn't need installing, just run it)
  4. Run Kinect2ScratchX.exe (the file you just downloaded) and it may ask you to let it out through the firewall - this is because I use the network to send information from the Kinect to Scratch. I don't send any other data (personal or otherwise) anywhere - just Kinect data to Scratch.
  5. If you want to start from a fresh project, click 'Launch ScratchX with new Kinect2ScratchX Project'
  6. If you want to try the Skeleton sample project, click 'Launch ScratchX with sample Kinect2ScratchX Project'
  7. ScratchX is Scratch 2.0 with some features removed, 3rd party extensions are allowed on ScratchX, but not on Scratch 2.0
  8. Consider watching the Microsoft Virtual Academy course Coding for Kinect with Scratch

Developer & Thanks

Hi! I'm Stephen Howell. I live in Ireland and was C++ developer for IBM, then a Computing lecturer and now Academic Evangelist for Microsoft. You can follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn if you are so inclined. I first developed this in January 2011. Updated it a few times since. About 10,000 downloads later - thanks! I love the videos, tweets, emails and all the lovely feedback folk have sent. There are far too many people to individually thank for their help in developing and nurturing Kinect2Scratch, so thank you all.

Support & Feedback

Having trouble? I don't have lots of free time (4 kids, wife, job, thesis) but I love to get feedback from you and I'll do my best to help if you get stuck; email me and I’ll help you if I can.