We love Kinect hacks, so when we spotted this latest clever use of Microsoft's ridiculously popular Xbox 360 accessory, we just had to share it: A hacker put his Kinect to work as a home automation tool.

In this DIY project, a blogger known only as 'nitrogen' makes use of the libfreenect library programming tool to turn the Kinect's cameras into a home automation sensor of sorts.

The camera detects whether anyone is in the room, and where that person is located. It then uses that information--along with a set of programmed rules--to take appropriate action. For example, it'll dim the lights if you sit down to watch a movie, or it'll switch them off if nobody is in the room. It's a perfectly geeky way of saving energy!

Watch the video below to see the hack in action:

Saving energy and saving lives--is there anything a hacked Kinect can't do? Check out Nitrogen's blog for more information on this latest hack.

[via CrunchGear]

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