Releases preview version of software for building robot apps
Microsoft Corp. today released the preview version of a software toolkit for building robot applications, pledging to ignite the robot market in the same way it did the PC market some 20 years ago.
The software maker sees robotics as on the verge of a rapid take-off, fueled by the availability of cheap, high-performance hardware components. But the market is being held back by a need for better tools and a common software platform that will enable reusing applications on different types of robots, Microsoft said.
Robotics Studio is a package of tools and runtime software that the company will demonstrate today at the RoboBusiness conference in Pittsburgh. A technical preview of the software is available now for free download. It is aimed at all types of robot builders, from commercial users to academics and hobbyists.
The company will also announce that it is funding a new robotics center at Carnegie Melon University that’s due to open late this year. It didn’t disclose the size of its investment.
Heaven help us Microsoft robots!?
Nothing’s good enough for Microsoft is it? It seems as if they want to own every single market