Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Softwaresoftware

| name = Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio

| logo = [[File:MRDSlogo.png]]

| caption = Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio

| released = {{startStart date and age|2006|12|18}}

| latest release version=4.0

| latest_release_version = 4.0

| latest_release_datelatest =release date={{releaseStart date and age|2012|303|808}}

| developer = [[Microsoft]] in association with the community

| operating system=

| operating_system =

* Tested on Windows 8 Consumer Preview but not supported until final release of Windows 8

* [[Windows XP SP2]], [[Windows Vista|Vista]], [[Windows 7]], [[Windows Embedded 7]], [[Windows Server 2003|Server 2003]] up to 2008 R3

* [[Windows CE 5.0|CE 5.0]], [[Windows CE 6.0|CE 6.0]] up to [[Windows Server 2008 R2]]

| genre = [[Robotics suite]]

| license = Various

| website = {{URL|1=https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29081}}

}}

'''Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio''' (Microsoft RDS, '''MRDS''') is a discontinued [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]-based environment for [[robot]] control and [[simulation]]. Itthat iswas aimed at academic, hobbyist, and commercial developers and handleshandled a wide variety of robot hardware. It requires thea Microsoft [[Windows 7]] operating system or later.

RDS is based on CCR ([[Concurrency and Coordination Runtime]] (CCR): a [[.NET Framework|.NET]]-based concurrent [[Library (computing)|library]] implementation for managing asynchronous parallel tasks. This technique involves using message-passing and a lightweight services-oriented runtime, DSS (Decentralized Software Services (DSS), which allows the orchestration oforchestrating multiple services to achieve complex behaviors.

Features include: a [[visual programming]] tool, [[Microsoft Visual Programming Language]] for(VPL) to creatingcreate and debuggingdebug robot applications, [[Internet|web-based]] and windows-based interfaces, [[3D computer graphics|3D simulation]] (including [[hardware acceleration]]), easy access to a robot's [[sensor]]s and [[actuator]]s. The primary programming language is [[Visual C Sharp (programming language)|C#]].

Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio includes support for packages to add other services to the suite. Those currently available include Soccer Simulation and Sumo Competition by Microsoft, and a community-developed Maze Simulator, a program to create worlds with walls that can be explored by a virtual [[robot]], and a set of services for [[OpenCV]]. Most of the additional packages are hosted on [http://www.codeplex.com CodePlex] (search for Robotics Studio). [http://swrobotics.codeplex.com/ Course materials] are also available.

==Components==

[[File:Reference Platform Robot.jpg|thumb|Example of a Reference Platform Robot]]

ThereRDS arehas four main components in RDS:

* CCR (Concurrency and Coordination Runtime (CCR)

* DSS (Decentralized Software Services (DSS)

* VPL (Visual Programming Language (VPL)

* VSE (Visual Simulation Environment (VSE)

CCR and DSS are also available separately for use in commercial applications that require a high level of concurrency and/or must be distributed across multiple nodes in a network. This package is called the CCR and DSS Toolkit.

of concurrency and/or must be distributed across multiple nodes in a network. This package is called the [http://www.microsoft.com/ccrdss/ CCR and DSS Toolkit].

==Tools==

[[File:Mars rover msrds simulation.jpg|300px|alt=MarsRoverSimulation|right|upright=2|Simulated robot and environment in MRDS]]

The tools that allow developing an MRDS application contain a graphical environment (Microsoft Visual Programming Language (VPL)) command line tools allow working with Visual Studio projects (VS Express version is enough) in C#, and 3D simulation tools.

The tools that allow to develop an MRDS application contain a graphical environment (Microsoft Visual Programming Language : VPL) command line tools allow you to deal with Visual Studio projects (VS Express version is enough) in C#, and 3D simulation tools.

* [[Microsoft Visual Programming Language|Visual Programming Language]] is a graphical development environment that uses a service and activity catalog.

** They can interact graphically, a service or an activity is represented by a block that has inputs and outputs that just need toonly be dragged from the catalog to thea diagram.

** Linking can be done with the mouse, it allows you to definedefining if signals are simultaneous or not, permits you toallows performperforming operations on transmitted values...

** VPL also allows you to generategenerating the code of new "macro" services from diagrams created by users.

** ItIn isVPL, possibleit inis VPLpossible to easily customize services for different hardware elements.

* RDS 3D simulation environment allows you to simulatesimulating the behavior of robots in a virtual world using NVIDIA PhysX technology (3D engine originally written by Ageia) that includes advanced physics.

[[File:Simulated Reference Platform Robot.png|thumb|A simulated robot with a Kinect sensor]]

* There are several simulation environments in RDS. These environments were developed by [[SimplySim]]

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** Urban

* Many examples and tutorials are available for the different tools, which permits a fast understanding of MRDS. Several applications have been added to the suite, such as Maze Simulator, or Soccer Simulation which is developed by [[Microsoft]].

* The [[Kinect]] sensor can be used on a robot in the RDS environment. RDS also includes a simulated Kinect sensor. The Kinect Services for RDS are licensed for both commercial and non-commercial use. They depend on the [http://www.kinectforwindows.org/ Kinect for Windows SDK].

==Notable applications==

* [[Princeton University]]'s [[DARPA Grand Challenge|DARPA Urban Grand Challenge]] [[autonomous car]] entry was programmed with MRDS.<ref>[{{cite web |url=http://www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge/TechPapers/Princeton_University.pdf |title=Technical Paper for the Darpa Challenge] |access-date=2011-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100331052411/http://www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge/TechPapers/Princeton_University.pdf |archive-date=2010-03-31 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

* [[MySpace]] uses MRDS's [[parallel computing]] foundation libraries, CCR and DSS, for a non-robotic application in the back end of their site.<ref name="sdtimes.com">[{{cite news |last=Worthington |first=David |date=August 1, 2008 |url=http://www.sdtimes.com/MICROSOFT_S_SHIFT_TO_PARALLEL_COMPUTING/About_CLOUDCOMPUTING_and_MULTICORE_and_MICROSOFT/32651 SDTimes On The Web, |title=Microsoft's shift to parallel computing, By|work=SDTimes Davidon Worthington,the August 1,Web |access-date=2008]-08-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715061245/http://www.sdtimes.com/MICROSOFT_S_SHIFT_TO_PARALLEL_COMPUTING/About_CLOUDCOMPUTING_and_MULTICORE_and_MICROSOFT/32651 |archive-date=2009-07-15}}</ref>

* [[Indiana University]] uses MRDS in a non-robotic application to coordinate a high-performance computing network.<ref name="sdtimes.com"/>

* In 2008 [[Microsoft]] launched a simulated [[robotics]] competition named [[RoboChamps]] using MRDS, four challenges were available : maze, sumo, urban, and Mars rover. the simulated environment and robots used by the competition were created by [[SimplySim]] and the competition was sponsored by [[Kia]] Motors|KIA Motors]]

* The 2009 [[robotics]] and [[algorithm]] section of the [[Imagine Cup]] [[software]] competition uses MRDS visual simulation environment. The challenges of this competition were also developed by [[SimplySim]] and are improved versions of the [[RoboChamps]] challenges.

==Critique==

* The complication and overhead required to run MRDS prompted [[Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering]] to convert their [[Prospect 12]] system from MRDS to [[IPC++]].<ref>[{{cite web|url=http://pave.mycpanel.princeton.edu/wp/?page_id=142 |title=Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering -Section Software] |publisher=Pave.mycpanel.princeton.edu |access-date=2019-04-08}}</ref>

* The main RDS4 website hasn'twas beenlast updated sinceon 6/29/2012-06-29. (In fact, the product no longer exists).

==VersionsMicrosoft Robotics and Licensingthe future==

* Robotics Studio 1.0 (Commercial and Non-Commercial Use Licenses) -- Release Date: December 18, 2006

* Robotics Studio 1.5 (Commercial and Non-Commercial Use Licenses) -- Release Date: May 2007

* Robotics Studio 1.5 "Refresh" (Commercial and Non-Commercial Use Licenses) -- Release Date: December 13, 2007

* Robotics Developer Studio 2008 Standard Edition (Commercial Use), Academic Edition (Academic use) and Express Edition (Commercial and Non-Commercial Use) -- Release Date: November 18, 2008

* Robotics Developer Studio 2008 R2 Standard Edition (Commercial Use), Academic Edition (Academic use) and Express Edition (Commercial and Non-Commercial Use) -- Release Date: June 17, 2009

* Robotics Developer Studio 2008 R3—Release Date: May 20, 2010. With R3, Robotics Developer Studio 2008 is now free and the functionality of all editions and CCR & DSS Toolkit has been combined into the single free edition. R3 is no longer compatible with .NET Compact Framework development and it no longer supports Windows CE.<ref>[http://blogs.msdn.com/msroboticsstudio/archive/2010/05/20/microsoft-announces-robotics-developer-studio-2008-r3.aspx Microsoft Announces Robotics Developer Studio 2008 R3: Microsoft Robotics Blog]</ref>

* Robotics Developer Studio 4 -- Release Date: March 8, 2012. This release adds full support for the Kinect sensor via the [http://www.kinectforwindows.org Kinect for Windows SDK V1]. A [http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=228540&clcid=0x409 Reference Platform Design] is included in the documentation, with the first implementation being the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120303002620/http://www.parallax.com/eddie Eddie robot] from Parallax. It also updates RDS to .NET 4.0 and XNA 4.0.<ref>[http://blogs.msdn.com/b/msroboticsstudio/archive/2011/09/17/announcing-microsoft-robotics-developer-studio-4-beta.aspx Microsoft Announces Robotics Developer Studio 4 Beta: Microsoft Robotics Blog]</ref>

==Supported robots==

[[File:ms studio create.png|thumb|230px|An [[iRobot Create]] robot inside Microsoft Robotic Studio's Visual Simulation Environment]]

[[File:Robotino in MRDS.png|thumb|230px|[[Robotino]] inside Microsoft Robotic Studio's Visual Simulation Environment]]

* [[ABB Group]] Robotics - [http://www.abb.com/cawp/seitp202/6a07b8b2b76766e3c125750d0039a76b.aspx ABB Connect for Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio]

* Adept MobileRobots Pioneers (first robots to run under MRDS) [[Pioneer DX and Pioneer AT]] [http://www.mobilerobots.com Official WebSite] (Subsumed under reference design)

* Aldebaran Robotics [[Nao (robot)|Nao]] [http://www.aldebaran-robotics.com/en Official WebSite] (Support dropped in latest version)

* Arieh Robotics Project Junior ([[Physical computing]] PC) [https://web.archive.org/web/20110210120350/http://arobotineveryhome.com/ Official WebSite]

* [[CoroWare]] [[CoroBot]] and Explorer [http://robotics.coroware.com/products Official Website]

* [[Lego Mindstorms NXT]] [http://mindstorms.lego.com Official Website]

* [[Lego Mindstorms#RCX|Lego Mindstorms RCX]] (Support dropped in Robotics Developer Studio 2008)

* [[iRobot Create]]

* [[KUKA]] Robotics [http://www.kuka.com/en/products/software/educational_framework/start.htm Educational Framework]

* [[Parallax, Inc. (company)|Parallax]] [[Boe-Bot]]

* [[Parallax, Inc. (company)|Parallax]] [[Scribbler (robot)|Scribbler]]. Through [[Institute for Personal Robots in Education|IPRE]].

* [[Parallax, Inc. (company)|Parallax]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20110923174409/http://www.parallax.com/eddie Eddie robot]. Supported directly by software available for download from Parallax.

* [[fischertechnik]] FT16 (Supported through [http://mrdssamples.codeplex.com/ MRDS Codeplex Samples])

* Robosoft's robots [http://www.robosoft.fr Official WebSite]

* Kondo [[KHR-1]] (Supported through [http://mrdssamples.codeplex.com/ MRDS Codeplex Samples])

* [[Segway PT|Segway]] RMP [http://www.segway.com/rmp Official WebSite]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} by: [http://www.benaxelrod.com/MSRS/index.html#Segway Ben Axelrod]

* [http://www.surveyor.com/ Surveyor] [https://web.archive.org/web/20100209111632/http://www.surveyor.com/SRV_info.html SRV-1]

* [[RoboticsConnection]] [[Traxster]]. [http://www.roboticsconnection.com/t-microsoftroboticsstudio.aspx Link]

* [http://www.robodynamics.com/roombadevtools RoombaDevTools]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} by RoboDynamics

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091228034104/http://www-robotics.cs.umass.edu/Robots/UBot-5 uBot-5] from the Laboratory For Perceptual Robotics at [[University of Massachusetts Amherst]]

* [[Vex Robotics Design System]] available at [http://www.codeplex.com/VexMsrs CodePlex]

* [[WowWee]] [[RoboSapien]], via the [http://www.usbuirt.com USB-UIRT] device

* [[ZMP INC.]] e-nuvo WALK [https://web.archive.org/web/20081216024846/http://www.zmp.co.jp/e-nuvo/en/index.html Official Website]

* CNRobot Co. Ltd [[CRX10]] [http://www.cnrobot.co.kr/en/ Official Website]

* [[Robotino]] from Festo Didactic Germany

==Microsoft Robotics and the Future==

Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio has not been updated or patched since version 4.0, which was released on March 8, 2012.

On September 22, 2014, as part of Microsoft's [[restructuring]] plan, the Robotics division of Microsoft Research was suspended, according to a tweet from Ashley Feniello, a principal developer at Microsoft Robotics division of MSR (Microsoft Research (MSR). It is now highly unlikely that MRDS will ever be updated again, however forum members (MVPs) may still offer limited support.<ref>{{Citecite news web|titlelast=Feniello |first=Ashley |date=20 September 2014 |title=Sadly, the Microsoft robotics team has been shut down. My card key stops working tomorrow afternoon... :-/ |url = https://twitter.com/AshleyFen/status/513392391467048960 |website =Twitter Twitter|access-date = 2016-01-20|last = Feniello|first = Ashley|date = 20 Sep 2014}}</ref>

==See also==

* [[Player Project]] – used in research and post-secondary education ([[Open-source software|open source]] and [[free software|free]])

{{Portal|Software|Robotics|Microsoft}}

* [[Webots]]

* [[Player Project]] – used in research and post-secondary education ([[open source]] and [[free software|free]])

* [[WebotsProject Chrono]]

* [[Concurrency and Coordination Runtime]]

* [[URBI]]

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* [[Mobile Robot Programming Toolkit]]

* [[Arduino]]

* [[ROS (Robot Operating System)|Robot Operating System]] (ROS)

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

{{cite book

* {{cite book

|last = Morgan

|last=Morgan

|first = Sarah

|first=Sarah

|title = Programming Microsoft Robotics Studio

|year=2008

|publisher = [[Microsoft Press]]

|title=Programming Microsoft Robotics Studio

|year = 2008

|publisher=[[Microsoft Press]]

|isbn = 0-7356-2432-1}}

|isbn=978-0-7356-2432-0}}

* {{cite book

|last1=Johns |first1=Kyle

|last = Johns

|last2=Taylor |first2=Trevor

|first = Kyle

|year=2008

|author2=Taylor, Trevor

|title = Professional Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio

|publisher = [[John Wiley & Sons]]

|isbn=978-0-470-14107-6}}

|year = 2008

* {{cite book

|isbn = 0-470-14107-7}}

|last1=Kang |first1=Shih-Chung

|last2=Chang |first2=Wei-Tze |last3=Gu |first3=Kai-Yuan |last4=Chi |first4=Hung-Lin

{{cite book

|year=2011

|last = Kang

|title=Robot Development Using Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio

|first = Shih-Chung |author2=Chang, Wei-Tze |author3=Gu, Kai-Yuan |author4=Chi, Hung-Lin

|publisher=Chapman and Hall/CRC Press

|title = Robot Development Using Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio

|isbn=978-1-4398-2165-7}}

|publisher = Chapman and Hall/CRC Press

|year = 2011

|isbn = 978-1-4398-2165-7}}

==External links==

{{external links|section|date=March 2019}}

* {{Official website|http://www.microsoft.com/robotics/}}

* {{Official website|www.microsoft.com/robotics}}

* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/robotics/ Microsoft MSDN robotics pages]

* [http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483024.aspx Microsoft Robotics Studio: An Introduction]

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* [http://mrdssamples.codeplex.com/ MRDS Codeplex Samples] (MRDS 2008 R3)

* [http://promrds.codeplex.com/ Additional Samples from Professional Robotics Developer Studio textbook] (MRDS 2008 R3)

* [http://www.roboticsnedir.com Microsoft Robotics Studio Community -– Turkey]

* [http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.msroboticsstudio/topics Microsoft robotics newsgroup from Google Groups]

* [http://channel9.msdn.com/wiki/default.aspx/Channel9.MSRoboticsStudio Channel9 wiki page about Microsoft Robotics Studio]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070922084213/http://www.conscious-robots.com/en/robotics-studio/index.php www.Conscious-Robots.com pages for MSRS (Microsoft Robotics Studio (MSRS)]

* [http://www.ageia.com/ PhysX by Ageia Home]

* Robubox's MSRS tutorials and simulator samples [http://www.robubox.com Official Website]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071123112403/http://simplysim.net/ SimplySim : MRDS 3D simulation company]

* [http://imaginecup.com/Competition/mycompetitionportal.aspx?competitionId=22 Imagine Cup 2009 : Robotics & Algorithm]

* https://twitter.com/AshleyFen/status/5133923914670489600

{{Microsoft development tools}}

{{MS DevTools}}

[[Category:Microsoft development tools|Robotics Developer Studio]]

[[Category:Integrated development environments]]

[[Category:Robotics suites]]