Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio Paul Foster Microsoft UK

Download for free at: http://microsoft.com/robotics for non-commercial use. Commercial use license from $399

Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio http://www.promrds.com

RoboCup: Nao simulation

DARPA Urban Challenge

DARPA: Princeton University DARPA Urban Challenge 5 x Dual Core Servers 25 distributed services 35 undergraduates! http://pave.princeton.edu/

Visual Simulation Engine Visual Programming Language Demo Visual Simulation Engine Visual Programming Language

Robotics is: Distributed computing Concurrent (parallel) computing Hardware-intensive, especially exotic/ non-standard hardware Algorithmically challenging, even in well-understood areas of computer science Pushing the boundaries of computing science (sensing, reasoning, planning, user interaction)

Robotics is hard because: There is a lack of reusable components No standard hardware or hardware abstractions exist Concurrent and distributed programming is hard and inherent in virtually all robotics software projects Testing in the real-world is excessively costly and simulation is costly or overly complex High barrier to entry

Microsoft Robotics Studio addresses: Reusable components: Introduces a paradigm that facilitates reuse Standardization: Introduces a hardware abstraction paradigm Concurrency and distributed computing: Introduces CCR and DSS to greatly simplify these tasks Simulation: Introduces a high-fidelity, extensible virtual world Barrier to Entry: Introduces a Visual Programming Language to make the advanced features more accessible to newcomers

Special bonus: If Robotics is hard for the same reasons that distributed, parallel, network computing is hard, then MRDS technology is useful outside of robotics Or, “Not all robots have wheels”

Services are the basic building block Services have: Structured state Behaviors Partner services One or more contracts Operations State retrieval and manipulation Create and Terminate Notification Port Handlers Service State Service Service

Services Can be used to abstract hardware Can be composed and provide aggregated functionality (sensor fusion, for example) Are inherently remotable and participate in distributed operations Restartable and mobile (state transfer) Must be inherently asynchronous Port Handlers State

Orchestration Service Laser Range Finder Service Laser Range Finder Service Camera Service Camera Service Bumper Service Bumper Service Drive Service

Sequential programming CPU Core

Parallel programming CPU Core CPU Core CPU Core

Parallel programming, too many threads CPU Core CPU Core CPU Core

Parallel programming, too few threads CPU Core CPU Core CPU Core CPU Core

Parallel programming, with CCR CPU Core CPU Core CPU Core CPU Core

CCR helps us create scalable concurrent apps by: Decomposing workload into a ‘sea’ of heterogeneous concurrent work items Enabling latent concurrency that can be dynamically mapped to available computational resources In short, you list all the things that could run in parallel, and the CCR decides what should run NOW

Building a virtual world and robot Demo Building a virtual world and robot

.NET Everywhere NETFx NETFx NETCF NETCF

Robotics Studio on Devices

MRDS and Sensor Webs Monitored temp, humidity, and activity in ten animal burrows on a remote island Base station contained VIA EPIA computer, sensor radio, GPS, and a GPRS modem MRDS managed all communication with the sensor web, researcher PCs and the mainland MRDS also managed the solar recharging system and duty cycle for the PC Sensors: www.scatterweb.com See: http://research.microsoft.com/habitats/index.html for more information

RoboChamps Competition New Simulation-based Robotics League Based on MRDS 2008 Targeted at broad developer audience Community site provides links, videos, samples, training and forums New Challenges, Robots, and 3-D Environments Released Every 1-2 months Participants can win real robots http://www.robochamps.com

RoboChamps Challenges

Summary Building and programming Robots is FUN! Download and tutorials: http://microsoft.com/robotics Book: http://www.promrds.com Blogs: http://blogs.msdn.com/msroboticsstudio http://wotudo.net

Q&A

Resources www.microsoft.com/teched http://msdn.microsoft.com Tech·Talks Tech·Ed Bloggers Live Simulcasts Virtual Labs http://microsoft.com/expression Professional Design tools for tomorrow http://msdn.microsoft.com Developer’s Kit, Licenses, and MORE!

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