If you haven’t heard, Microsoft announced yesterday that the Imagine Cup will now have a “Kinect Fun Labs Challenge” for this years competition. Students are tasked to “solve some of the worlds toughest problems” through the help of technology, in this case Kinect. I personally think this is incredibly exciting, because it gives students a chance to build innovative solutions with the Kinect Sensor.

First thing I did was browse the rules of the contest, wanting to get as much information as possible. I learned that all participants who move on to Round 2 of the competition will receive a free Kinect for Windows Sensor… and something a bit interesting. The following is taken from the official rules for the contest:

I’m not reading much into this, but it’s interesting to see that students will be getting a new SDK for Kinect Fun Labs. Perhaps we’ll see something come out for all developers in the near future? Only time will tell.

In the meantime, if you are a student passionate about changing the world through technology, sign up for the Imagine Cup today. Not only can you win a Kinect for Windows Sensor, but if your idea is great enough, you could win a free trip to Australia, as well as up to $8,000 USD. Sign up today!