Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio :New Software Release

The release of Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio (RDS) 2008 has just been announced to the joy of robotics enthusiasts across the world.

Coming on the back of the two previous editions, this third version aims to raise the standard with a number of far superior features, bringing the dream of a world run entirely by robots that little bit closer.

The new software has a simple programming model to support building synchronous applications, a set of visual authoring and simulation tools which aid application development, and a number of tutorials and sample code to allow beginners to get cracking straight away.

The two previous versions of RDS have found great support in the robotics community, winning fans in researchers, students, and commercial developers alike, and this release it certain to increase the fan base hugely.

More than 250,000 copies of the first two versions have already been downloaded, and more than 60 hardware and software companies use the platform as a part of their product development.

Tandy Trower, the general manager of the Microsoft Robotics Group, said that it showed the company’s “continued commitment and investment in supporting the emerging new robotics community”, adding that they hoped it would provide a “common ground and catalyst for the future of personal robotics”.

The main enhancements for fans include an increased runtime performance with speeds up to three times faster, improvements to the Visual Programming Language (VPL) tool for ease of creating applications, improvements to the Visual Simulation Environment (VSE) tool for recording and playing back simulations, and greater development flexibility.

It also provides support for importing content from DS SolidWorks(R) 3-D computer-aided design (CAD) software and Microsoft trueSpace 3-D modeling software, meaning it will be easier for developers to create simulated models and environments.

The aim is to get greater participation from across the robotics community by finding a common ground, and it looks like with this release that could be a reality very soon.

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