Today's post isn't about Kinect coding or development, but it's pretty darn cool... Come on, what's cooler than using the Kinect to do 3D scanning and 3D printing...

In this video, Alex Blondin and Gavin Gear demonstrate how you can plug a Kinect V2 sensor into your PC and turn it into a portable 3D scanning setup using the latest version of 3D Builder.

In this video a custom "turntable" was used so that the person being scanned us rotated smoothly, but you can also use an office chair, or move the Kinect sensor and keep the subject stationary. An Alienware 17 laptop was used for scanning because the powerful onboard GPU can process scan data at a high rate, which means you can achieve a high level of detail and fidelity when scanning.

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Trust me, with a scanning setup like this, you'll have hours of fun scanning people and things. I'm even wondering how I can get my cat to stand still for 30 seconds (too bad that won't happen).

Here's what you'll need to get a setup like this up and running:

A Windows PC running Windows 8 or greater OS

Kinect for Xbox V2 sensor or Kinect for Windows V2 sensor

(optional) Revolving platform/support

Your PC hardware must also meet some basic requirements:

64-bit (x64) processor

Dual-core 3.1-GHz (2 logical cores per physical) or faster processor

4 GB RAM

Graphics card that supports DirectX 11

A compatible USB 3.0 port (Intel or Renesas)

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