Microsoft Robotics Studio

[Madison]

Originally Posted by Donut

I don't know though, Microsoft and robot kits...?

Hey, we've been doing okay so far

[KenWittlief]

I dont see any mention of kits in the news release. They are only taking about an operating system, not hardware.

Personally I cant imagine any real time system with mechanical components running on Microsoft based SW. How does the old joke go? If Microsoft built cars then.... ?

[petek]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

I dont see any mention of kits in the news release. They are only taking about an operating system, not hardware.

Personally I cant imagine any real time system with mechanical components running on Microsoft based SW. How does the old joke go? If Microsoft built cars then.... ?

When it was introduced in 1991, I wonder how many people thought that Visual Basic would become the defacto standard office automation language and that by now supposedly over 50% of all programmers would use it?

According to an article I saw:
...others, not just Microsoft, will be able to offer software development tools for use with the underlying Microsoft Robotics Studio system. And while the system will run on Windows, it can be used to create programs for all types of robots, not just those using the Microsoft operating system, Trower said.

Maybe even ones using Microchip controllers...

[Donut]

That would certainly make code transfers easier.

[Tom Bottiglieri]

This is not a robotics kit. MRS (Microsoft Robotics Studio) is an SDK that allows robot programmers to create and manage code for robots.

Here's a good video showing some of the features of the Microsoft Robotics SDK.

http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=206574

[Astronouth7303]

While a universal platform is a good goal, isn't the differences between controllers where their power comes from?

I'm watching that hour-long intro.

Within the first 10 minutes:

• It's sounding like a good way to introduce hard-to-find bugs: deadlocks, race conditions, and any other concurrent bugs
• Managed code = .NET; if it has the performance of .NET 2.0, I'm not touching this.
• Simulator = lots of work while every team creates a realistic, accurate, high-res model of their robot
• JScript, VBScript = I'm thinking running Microsoft OS (likely based on NT) on your robot

Did we mention that our current processor runs only at 20MHz? (Compared to the current 4000 MHz.)

Of course, it could be that it compiles to .NET (CLR) and converts that to the local machine language. (Much like JIT compiling.) Maybe this is an effort by Mircrosoft to show the versatility of .NET.

Nice lawnmower, though. (The coffee maker is a LIDAR unit, BTW.)

I'm willing to bet that this is going to be about as useful to us as CoreChart (that graphical assembler).

EDIT: At about 16:03, notice the Windows Live logo.

[Astronouth7303]

So I finished that intro. Here's what I noticed.

• Windows logo on NXT
• IE required (no Gecko goodness)
• Jumping boxes in simulator
• Requirements of a PC to run this
• This does fulfil some of my goals for FURC
• The 1 female shows up in the last 8 minutes and is only around for 4 (in an 58 minute introduction)
• Not a single CMUCam, but plenty of LIDAR boxes. (And guess which is cheaper)
• Can handle many platforms of robots, but only 1 platform of PC
• .NET through and through
• A PC required???

"2 lines" to express lots of complex information. Sounds like a good way to overload one's brain.

How many times will you hear "Oh. I guess the simulation was wrong."?

Much like CoreChart, this has potential but the jury's still out.

[Andrew Rudolph]

Microsoft has set up a blog for the devolpment of the program,

http://blogs.msdn.com/microsoft_robo...o/default.aspx

[Alexa Stott]

BusinessWeek recently had an article on the Microsoft Robotics Studio.

I'm in the process of downloading the beta version of it, and I'll post more later. I'm a bit skeptical about Microsoft creating this robotics programming software, but I'll give it a shot...

[6600gt]

This is funny:

www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32845

Especially read the last 2 lines.

[Cody Carey]

There isn't really anything that I can use... but I played around with it

I was lost.

[Pavan Dave]

Some of you may find this thread interesting.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=55244

[Bomberofdoom]

Could be really really neat if programmers of FIRST could gather and help make a simulation for following years so they can input their robot's design and see if it works.
Possible?

[rjmah]

Version 1.5 of MS Robotics Studio is now free for download (Community Technical Preview).

http://msdn.microsoft.com/robotics/d....aspx?WT.svl=1

They are supporting games called RoboCup 2007 soccer in Atlanta.

[Adam Y.]

Originally Posted by Astronouth7303

While a universal platform is a good goal, isn't the differences between controllers where their power comes from?

I'm watching that hour-long intro.

Within the first 10 minutes:

• It's sounding like a good way to introduce hard-to-find bugs: deadlocks, race conditions, and any other concurrent bugs
• Managed code = .NET; if it has the performance of .NET 2.0, I'm not touching this.
• Simulator = lots of work while every team creates a realistic, accurate, high-res model of their robot
• JScript, VBScript = I'm thinking running Microsoft OS (likely based on NT) on your robot

Did we mention that our current processor runs only at 20MHz? (Compared to the current 4000 MHz.)

Of course, it could be that it compiles to .NET (CLR) and converts that to the local machine language. (Much like JIT compiling.) Maybe this is an effort by Mircrosoft to show the versatility of .NET.

Nice lawnmower, though. (The coffee maker is a LIDAR unit, BTW.)

I'm willing to bet that this is going to be about as useful to us as CoreChart (that graphical assembler).

EDIT: At about 16:03, notice the Windows Live logo.

Well that shouldn't be a problem considering the fact that Parallax is on that list. I wonder how extendable it is.