"The Seattle-based company Tuesday previewed a set of new software tools that aims to give developers a simpler way to design robots and to create and test programs that operate a wide range of machines -- from toys to floor sweepers to those used in factory production lines.'We believe this is a key part of the future of computing,' said Microsoft Robotics Group general manager Tandy Trower, who called robots the next evolution of the personal computer," reports Reuters.
The beta of Microsoft Robotics Studio is now available as a free download from Microsoft Robotics at http://msdn.microsoft.com/robotics. There's also an interview with the team on Channel 9, and a team blog
The press release adds:
Microsoft's support for advanced robotics was also in evidence at RoboBusiness when Carnegie Mellon University announced plans for a Center for Robotics Innovation. Established with funding and support from the Microsoft Robotics Group, the center will operate a Web site, http://www.cir.ri.cmu.edu, for hobbyists, academics and commercial companies to share robotics ideas, technology and software. The new center will open by late 2006.
