2. Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio
Paul Foster
Microsoft UK

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

4. Microsoft Robotics
Developer Studio

5. RoboCup: Nao simulation

6. DARPA Urban Challenge

7. DARPA: Princeton University
DARPA Urban Challenge
5 x Dual Core Servers
25 distributed services
35 undergraduates!

10. Visual Simulation Engine Visual Programming Language
Demo
Visual Simulation Engine Visual Programming Language

11. 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)

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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”

15. 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

16. 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

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

18. Sequential programming
CPU Core

19. Parallel programming
CPU Core
CPU Core
CPU Core

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

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

22. Parallel programming, with CCR
CPU Core
CPU Core
CPU Core
CPU Core

23. 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

24. Building a virtual world and robot
Demo
Building a virtual world and robot

25. .NET Everywhere
NETFx
NETFx
NETCF
NETCF

26. Robotics Studio on Devices

27. 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:
See: for more information

28. 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

29. RoboChamps Challenges

30. Summary Building and programming Robots is FUN!
Download and tutorials:
Book:
Blogs:

31. Q&A

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

33. © 2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved
© 2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries.
The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.