RoboChamps Unveiled
Many of our customer have been using Microsoft Robotics Studio in non-robotics applications ranging from business processes, major web sites, retail automation, command and control systems, scientific computing, sensor-nets and much more. Of course you can use Microsoft Robotics Studio for cool stuff like driving autonomous cars, flying unmanned vehicles, and sailing autonomous underwater vehicles. But at the core of Microsoft Robotics Studio lies a powerful concurrent and distributed engine consisting of the two components CCR and DSS that enable users to write generic applications that coordinate messages between loosely coupled components within and across nodes. For online information about Microsoft Robotics Studio, please see the Microsoft Robotics Studio Developer Center.
Today Microsoft unveils RoboChamps (www.robochamps.com), a simulated robotics league that is open to academics, hobbyists and developers from around the world, that demonstrates the power of the Microsoft platform to enable a broad range of developers to explore new ways to use .NET for robotics programming.
RoboChamps is built on top of the Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio(MSRDS) 2008 CTP, and uses that product’s robust, physics enabled simulation environment to remove the barriers of entry that exist for many today. This simulated league provides individuals with immersive 3D environments, simulated versions of robots, and compelling scenario-specific challenges where they can win real robots.
| If you would like to program a real robot, instead of one in simulation, take a look at the Lego Mindstorms NXT Robot. This is a great starter robot that includes a 32-bit microprocessor, 3 Interactive Servo motors, a sound sensor, ultrasonic visual sensor, touch sensor, and a light sensor. The kit also features 519 specially selected LEGO TECHNIC elements for sturdy and durable building and improved functionality and movement, 4 input ports, 3 output ports and 7 6-wire cords Matrix display, Piezo speakers, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth support. It comes with a visual programming environment called LabVIEW which is developed by National Instruments, but now you can program it using MSRDS. |   |
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