Category Archives: Robotics

Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio 4 enables hobbyists and professional or non-professional developers to create robotics applications targeting a wide range of scenarios. This release is an update that has the functionality of the previous RDS 2008 R3 Standard Edition with the addition of support for the Kinect sensor and a defined Reference Platform, also referred to as MARK (Mobile Autonomous Robot using Kinect).

Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio can support a broad set of robotics platforms by either running directly on the platform (if it has an embedded PC running Windows) or controlling the robot from a Windows PC through a communication channel such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

In addition to providing support for Microsoft Visual Studio 2010, Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio 4 provides a Visual Programming Language (VPL) which allows developers to create applications simply by dragging and dropping components onto a canvas and wiring them together.

The powerful Visual Simulation Environment (VSE) provides a high-fidelity simulation environment powered by NVIDIA PhysX engine for running game-quality 3D simulations with real-world physics interactions.

To help developers getting started, Robotics Developer Studio contains extensive Documentation and a large set of samples and tutorials that illustrate how to write applications ranging from simple "Hello Robot" to complex applications that simultaneously run on multiple robots.

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With the era of autonomous cars almost upon us, engineers at Stanford University are already working on something more difficult robots that can share the pavement with pedestrians. Jackrabbot may look like a backyard BB8 with WALL-E's head stuck on, but its function goes beyond cuteness. It's designed to interact with pedestrians and learn from them how to get around without bumping into people or annoying them.Read More

Computer systems have helped catalogue libraries for decades, but if some reckless reader has put a book back in the wrong spot, it's a daunting task for librarians to search the entire building for it but not for robotic librarians. Researchers at A*STAR's Institute for Infocomm Research are designing robots that can self-navigate through libraries at night, scanning spines and shelves to report back on missing or out-of-place books.Read More

Double Robotics has launched the latest iteration of its video-equipped robots. The firm now caters for 360-degree video, with a self-balancing 360 Camera Dolly and an accompanying Universal 360 Camera Mount.Read More

At Computex today, Asus revealed the Zenbo home robot. Kind of like Echo meets Keecker with a bit of Pepper sprinkled in the mix, it's been created to offer busy modern family members a helping hand with everyday tasks like keeping the kids entertained, controlling connected smart devices and providing recipe inspiration for mealtimes. The company also sees it acting as a remote guardian for the elderly.Read More

For such a reviled creature, the cockroach has some pretty impressive abilities. It can slide through incredibly narrow gaps, has great acceleration and can cling to overhanging surfaces like a gecko. But something you won't see them doing is launching more than a meter into the air at least not in the natural world. But researchers have developed a new springing mechanism for small robots that enables them to jump many times their own height at just the right time, a technology they have demonstrated in their so-called JumpRoACH leaping milli-scale robot.Read More

It's probably not something you'd say to a person writhing in agony on the floor, but physical pain can have its benefits. It is after all how kids learn to be wary of hot surfaces and carpenters to hit nails on the head. Researchers are now adapting this exercise in self-learning to an artificial nervous system for robots, a tool they believe will better equip these machines to avoid damage and preserve their and our well-being. Read More

Adidas has announced that it is ready to begin commercial production of footwear at a robot-staffed factory in Germany. The so-called "Speedfactory" in Ansbach will apparently allow the firm to produce more shoes, with greater precision and with new designs.Read More

Visitors to a Pizza Hut in Asia will soon be able to place an order, ask about nutritional info and pay for their meal without even speaking to a member of staff, or at least a human one. A robot that can interact with customers, like a glorified self-checkout, is to be piloted at the restaurant.Read More

Developed by researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute, a new lightweight exosuit, which features a "soft" fabric-based design, could help patients with lower limb disabilities regain mobility. The institute has partnered with ReWalk Robotics the biggest name in powered exoskeletons - for the ambitious project. Read More

When the insect-sized RoboBee first took flight in 2012, its developers were unable to keep it aloft for more than a few seconds at a time. These days, the tiny drone is so adept at flying that researchers are actively bringing it down to rest. In the latest exhibition of their flying microbot, Harvard researchers have demonstrated the RoboBee's newfound ability to land on surfaces during flight, a neat trick that allows it save power and remain in action for longer periods of time.Read More

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Robotics - Gizmag