Kinect (One) in the browser, the end of NPAPI

Question

Since I read Google's message that NPAPI will no longer be supported by the end of 2014, I've been looking for an alternative. The issue is that we currently use a custom made Kinect Browserplugin which we use to control the browser with JS and control Unity Web Player games with your body.

Without NPAPI support it simply won't work anymore and our work will be lost. Google gives NaCl as an alternative but this doesn't support interaction with hardware.

The main question I have is: How to use the Kinect in a webbased platform and crossbrowser?

Currently we have the "normal" Kinect and the Kinect One from the closed beta working in the browser and Unity Web Player.

Please share your thoughts on a solution.

Answer 1

I apologize in advance for just spewing out links without actually supplying much information, but as far as I know there are no known good alternatives.

If I was in your position, I would have a look at the chrome.usb API or possibly, depending on your use case, node-kinect.

Here's a good general resource/discussion of NPAPI alternatives: Browser Plugins in a post NPAPI world

Answer 2

Probably your best approach at this point is to continue using NPAPI except in Chrome, and in Chrome use native messaging. Of course, Chrome has made it as difficult as they can to install the host that you'll be connecting to, so it'll be a pain and you'll have to install the extension and the host seperately, but there you go.