Microsoft Kinect sensor used to help guard Korean border

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 6 February 2014 19:48 IST
Microsoft Kinect sensor used to help guard Korean border
Microsoft's movement-recognition Kinect software has morphed from virtual shooter gaming to the real-life challenge of guarding the world's last Cold War border.

The sensor allowing hands-free play on the Xbox is the basis for a security device now deployed along the demilitarised zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea, after being adapted by a South Korean programmer.

Four kilometres (2.5 miles) wide and 248 kilometres (155 miles) long, the DMZ is a depopulated no-man's land of heavily fortified fences that bristles with the landmines and listening posts of two nations that technically remain at war.

As a military buffer zone, it remains an area of profound Cold War hostility, but its man-made isolation has also created an accidental wildlife park recognised as one of the best-preserved habitats on Earth.

The Kinect-based software developed by Ko Jae-Kwan, founder-president of Saewan Co., has been taken up by the military because of its ability to differentiate between human and animal movement.

Advertisement

Ko, 39, told AFP on Thursday that his device could detect the sound, movement and direction of anybody attempting to cross the DMZ and immediately alert South Korean border guards.

"Existing sensors, which had been in place along the border, were highly efficient but could not tell the difference between humans and animals, sending wrong signals frequently," Ko said.

Advertisement

The new sensors have been in place along certain sections of the DMZ since August last year, he added.

(Also see : Kinect Sign Language Translator developed by Microsoft, Chinese researchers)

"Such devices are established as part of our project to strengthen surveillance with scientific equipment, but we cannot provide details for security reasons," a defence ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

Advertisement

Despite all the security measures in place along the DMZ, there have been highly publicised incidents of undetected crossings.

Five South Korean generals and nine mid-level officers were removed from their posts or disciplined in 2012 after a defecting North Korean soldier simply walked undetected across the border and knocked on the door of a guard post.

The security lapse was all the more embarrassing as it came at a time of surging military tensions when the South Korean army was supposedly on high alert.

Ko said he planned to update the existing Kinect-based sensors to a version capable of detecting heart rates and reading body temperature, features that Microsoft added to the Xbox One version of the console released last year.

"For its price, the device is very accurate and effective in covering vulnerable areas," he said.
 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. iQOO Z10 Lite 5G With 6,000mAh Battery Launched in India: Price, Features
  2. Nothing Phone 3 to Be Equipped With the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC
  3. Redmi Pad 2 With 11-Inch 2.5K Display, 9,000mAh Battery Launched in India
  4. OnePlus Nord 5 and Nord CE 5 Colour Options, Key Features Leaked
  5. Vivo X200 FE Launch Date, Colours, and Design Revealed Ahead of Launch
  6. Samsung Galaxy M36 5G to Launch in India Soon; Design, Price Range Teased
  7. Nothing Headphone 1 Price, Colour Options Leaked Ahead of Launch
  8. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Price in India Discounted for a Limited Time
  9. Google Pixel 10 Series Said to Get Faster Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor
  10. Trump Mobile T1 Phone With 5,000mAh Battery Announced; See Price, Features
  1. Apple Bringing Journal App to iPad and Mac With iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 Tahoe
  2. Ancient Scrolls Found in Qumran Caves Unlock Secrets of Jewish History and Biblical Texts
  3. Ancient Xiaohe Burials Uncovered: Boat Coffins, Cattle Symbols, and More
  4. Supernovas May Have Triggered Deadly Ancient Climate Shifts, and They Could Happen Again
  5. Astrophotographer Captures Stunning Portrait of Lagoon and Trifid Nebulas in Glowing Detail
  6. NSF’s DKIST Captures Sharpest-Ever Images of Fine Solar Magnetic Striations
  7. Microsoft Says Next-Gen Xbox Will Run on AMD Chip, Not Be 'Locked to a Single Store'
  8. Redmi Pad 2 With 11-Inch 2.5K Display, 9,000mAh Battery Launched in India: Price, Specifications
  9. iQOO Z10 Lite 5G With MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC, 6,000mAh Battery Launched in India: Price, Specifications
  10. Google Pixel 10 Series to Reportedly Get a Faster Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.