Microsoft has done something a bit overdue: it has consolidated Kinect for Xbox and Kinect for PC into one device, so developers don’t need two separate devices when working on both Xbox and PC apps.

The Kinect’s motion capture sensors are pretty powerful and comprehensive for such an inexpensive device, and it has been adopted for things other than jumping around the living room while playing videogames.

One example cited in a recent blog by the Kinect team is a chiropractor who developed an application that can find the exact location of a joint or range of motion issue. It proved considerably more accurate than standard palpation in helping patients with chronic pain.

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