Microsoft, not happy with just dominating the OS market, are all set to dominate the world of robotics with their newly previewed version of “Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio 2008″ today.
Originally released in 2006, and aimed at the hobbyist, the Studio was an answer to a community of robotics developers that needed a good environment to work in. The studio enables developers to use simulations and real connectivity interchangeably. The upshot of this is that you don’t need the hardware to get into robotics, the software can simulate your hard work which will behave exactly like it’s real-world counterpart. The new version has the backing of over 50 companies, and has an improved interface, some performance tweaks and some new tools to help in the design process.
Unfortunately the latest version isn’t available for general consumption just yet, as it’s “Community Technology Preview” status, but if you feel like it’s something you want to get into, or even just to take a look at, you can download the current version of the software from this website – free for personal use. And if it’s something you find you have a knack for, why not take part in the RoboChamps competition, which opens on April 21st?