If an object is not visible in IR, sensors such as the Kinect or an IR range finder cannot see it.  To address this problem we have developed a technique for applying a temporary contrast agent to image the object in IR.  We scan the object with the contrast agent to obtain a high-quality depth map.  After the contrast agent is removed, we localize the object with vision and incorporate the high-quality depth information based on the visual pose estimate.   This video shows our preferred method for applying the contrast agent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNwuyQlw87A&feature=youtu.be

We have integrated Baxter with the Kinect 2 using iai_kinect2.  So far it seems to have higher latency than the Kinect 1, but higher resolution (so a larger workspace) and less calibration error.  Overall picking is more accurate!  The video shows four successful picks in a row.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGJs5o_GuAA