By now it has already struck you that this is something more than just gaming. The Kinect sensor for Windows and the Kinect for Windows SDK unwrap a new opportunity for the developer to build a wide range of applications. These can include:
Capturing real-time video using the color sensor
Tracking a human body and then responding to its movements and gestures as a natural user interface
Measuring the distances of objects and responding
Analyzing 3D data and making a 3D model and measurement
Generating a depth map of the objects tracked
Recognizing a human voice and developing hands-free applications that can be controlled by voice
With this you can build a number of real-world applications that fall under a different domain. The following are a few examples, which will help you understand the applicability of Kinect sensors:
Healthcare: Using the Kinect sensor, you can build different applications for healthcare, such as exercise measurement, monitoring patients, their body movements, and so on
Robotics: Kinect can be used as a navigation system for robots either by tracking human gestures, voice commands, or by human body movements
Education: You can build various applications for students and kids to educate and help them to learn subjects either by their gesture and voice commands
Security system: Kinect can be used for developing security systems where you can track human body movement or face and send the notifications
Virtual Reality: With the help of Kinect 3D technology and human gesture tracking, several virtual reality applications can be build using the Kinect sensor
Trainer: Kinect can potentially be used as a trainer by measuring the movements of human body joints, providing live feedback to users if the joints are moving in an appropriate manner by comparing the movements with previously stored data
Military: Kinect can be used to build intelligent drones to spy on enemy lines
Well these were just a few specific examples of domains where you can use Kinect, but at the end of the day it's up to your imagination; where and how you want this device to work.