Microsoft set to enter robotics business

Microsoft seems all set to work its magic through robotics, just as it did with the PC business. The $40-billion software giant is entering the field of robotics with its first-ever software.

The company has set up a Microsoft Robotics Studio -- a Windows-based software development toolkit for developers to create intelligent applications for a range of products -- details of which are now available on the low-key Microsoft (robotics) website: http://msdn.microsoft.com/robotics/.

Robotics has entered the limelight in recent years through outfits like iRobot -- a commercial maker of smart floor-cleaners -- and Sony's robots -- especially the robotic dog (Aibo) which was put to sleep late last year.

Microsoft also has several academic and commercial partners that plan to support its robotics software. These include CMU, Lego, CoroWare, KUKA Robot Group, Robosoft and MobileRobots.

The personal and service robotics market is estimated to be around $5.5 billion. Sales for domestic robots (vacuum-cleaning, lawn-mowing, window-cleaning and other types) are expected to reach over 800,000 units, while sales for toy and entertainment robots may exceed one million units.

Tandy Trower, general manager, Microsoft Robotics Group, explaining his rationale on the website, says that robotics has long been a technology area that has captured the attention and expectations of many.

"We think robotics is poised to take off rapidly, and there are indications that this is true. With component hardware costs coming down and computational capabilities increasing, the robotics industry appears to have the right conditions to really grow quickly," he states.

Microsoft intends to use this as a platform to enable third parties to supply support for new hardware, technologies, and tools, "just as Microsoft Windows provides a platform for others to bring their products and technologies to the community of PC users."

Microsoft Robotics Studio delivers three areas of software: A scalable architecture that can span a wide variety of hardware and devices.

The programming interface can be used to address robots using 8-bit or 16-bit processors as well as 32-bit systems with multi-core processors and devices ranging from simple touch sensors to laser-distance-finding devices; a set of useful tools that make programming and debugging robot application scenarios easier; and a set of technology libraries services samples to help developers get started with writing robot applications.

While the development environment will run on Windows XP (and will also support Windows Vista), it can be used to support not only robots that support Windows, but also those that can operate as clients to a PC running Windows.

Microsoft is also funding a new research lab, called the Center for Innovative Robotics, at the Carnegie Mellon University, a pioneer in robotics research. Funds allotted to the CMU lab and its own research group have not been disclosed.

Incidentally, Microsoft is participating in a big way in the two-day RoboBusiness Conference and Exposition to be held in Pittsburgh in June.

It will deliver a conference session outlining its perspective of the robotics market and will host a technical seminar for hobbyist and commercial and academic robotic developers.