Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio

Overview

Microsoft® Robotics Developer Studio 2008 (RDS) is a Windows-based environment for hobbyist, academic and commercial developers to create robotics applications for a variety of hardware platforms. RDS includes a lightweight REST-style, service-oriented runtime, a set of visual authoring and simulation tools, as well as tutorials and sample code to help get started.

End-to-End Development Platform

RDS enables developers to create services for a wide-variety of robot hardware.

Non-programmers can create robot applications using a visual programming environment.

Microsoft Visual Programming Language enables anyone to create and debug robotics programs very easily. Just drag and drop blocks that represent services, and connect them. It is also possible to take a collection of connected blocks and reuse them as a single block elsewhere in the program.

Simulate robotics applications in 3D physics-based virtual environments

Easily simulate robotics applications using realistic 3D simulated models. Microsoft Visual Simulation Environment (VSE) includes AGEIA™ PhysX™ Technology from AGEIA Technologies Inc., a pioneer in hardware-accelerated physics, enabling real-world physics simulation for robot models. PhysX simulations can also be accelerated using AGEIA hardware.

AGEIA and PhysX are trademarks of AGEIA Technologies Inc.

Interact with robots using Windows or Web-based interfaces

Create applications that enabling remote monitoring and control of a robot, using a Web browser. Send it commands using existing Web technologies, such as HTML forms and JavaScript; plus mount cameras on the robots and control them to survey remote locations.

Lightweight REST-style, services-oriented runtime

RDS includes a .NET-based REST-style, services-oriented runtime consisting of two components: Concurrency and Coordination Runtime (CCR) and Decentralized Software Services (DSS).

Makes Asynchronous Programming Simple

The Concurrency and Coordination Runtime (CCR) makes it simple to write programs to handle asynchronous input from multiple robotics sensors and output to motors and actuators.

Real-time Monitoring of Robotics Sensors and Response to Motors and Actuators

The DSS application model makes it simple to access, and respond to, a robot’s state using a Web browser or Windows-based application.

Reuse Modular Services Using a Composable model

Build high-level functions using simple components, providing for reuse of code modules as well as better reliability and replaceability. For example, a lower-level sensor service could be integrated into a navigation service.

Scalable and Extensible Platform

The RDS programming model can be applied to a variety of robot hardware platforms, enabling users to transfer their skills across multiple platforms. The programming interfaces can be used to develop applications on single or multi-core processors.

Easily extend Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio Functionality

Third parties can extend the functionality of RDS by providing additional libraries and services. Hardware or software vendors can make their products easily compatible with RDS.

Supports both remotely connected (PC-based) and robot-based (autonomous) application scenarios

Remotely connected scenarios enable communication from a PC to the robot through a serial port, Bluetooth®, 802.11 (WiFi), or RF modem. Programs can also execute natively on PC-based robots running one of the Microsoft Windows operating systems, enabling fully autonomous operation.

Develop using a wide range of programming languages

With RDS, robotics applications can be developed using a selection of programming languages, including those in Microsoft Visual Studio® and Microsoft Visual Studio Express® (C# and VB.NET), as well as scripting languages such as Microsoft Iron Python®. Third-party languages that support the RDS services-based architecture are also supported.