 |
|
Background
For hundreds of years people have dreamed of the
day when robot would perform tasks for us in the
physical world. But while robots play a big role in
industries such as automobile manufacturing, we still have
a way to go before they catch up with their science-fiction
counterparts. Many observers think that may happen soon.
Recent technology advances are opening the door to a new
generation of robotic devices that will have capabilities far
beyond today's robots.
Microsoft Robotics Studio, first released in December, 2006, provides academic, hobbyist and
commercial developers to easily create robotics applications across a wide variety of hardware.
2008 April 8th, Microsoft released
Microsoftt Robotics Developer Studio 2008. Microsoft Robotics
Developer Studio 2008 is to supply a software platform for the robotics community that can be
used across a wide variety of hardware, applicable to a wide audience of users, and development of
a wide variety of applications.
At the same time, Microsoft Research Asia University relationships (MSRA UR) also have a number
of projects based on Microsoft Robotics Studio, in partnership with universities. For example, MSRA
UR coordinates with Robocup China committee to support Nao-model simulation competition based on MSRS
platform, which is endorsed by MSRS team. Several other collaborative projects on Robot application
and Simulation platform development are on-going.
|
|
|
Projects & Funding
- Robot architecture development based on MSRS
By Prof. CHEN Xiaoping, Multi-Agent System Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China
Microsoft Robotic Studio provides great developing tools for robotic researches in RoboCup community.
From the aspect of simulation engine, it seems that the general 3D simulator of the Microsoft Robotic
Studio with good dynamics simulation, multi-robot support, realistic appearance, and easy-to-use editing tools.
However, developing a high-quality robotic soccer teams is still very complex for a novice user who knows
little about the simulated robot. Moreover, many RoboCup researchers are only experts for one domain and show
little interest in other required knowledge.
For all the reasons discussed above, Prof. CHEN present a project for developing a general robot architecture based on
Microsoft Robotic Studio that allows for modeling complex soccer robots, including a general decision-making
architecture, implementing a set of actions and sense processing methods and releasing useful debugging tools
special for playing soccer.
- Humanoid league and legged league Soccer Robot Competition based on MSRS
By Prof. SUN Zengqi, Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, China
In the very research field of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, RoboCup series competitions are
regarded as one of the most concerned and competitive activities. The demonstrative presentation of MSRS
in 2007 Robocup, Atlanta has drawn dramatic attention for the hardware-independent, friendly-user-interfaced,
powerful-technical-supported features of MSRS.
Prof. SUN’s team will compose and revise the rules of humanoid as well as four legged leagues in RoboCup
series competition. They also will concentrate on developing open source samples of humanoid league as
well as four-legged league, to render more teams have accessible to this unique and appealing platform.
- HiFi 3D platform for RoboCup robot soccer simulation game
By TONG Guofeng, Associate Professor, Institute of A.I. & Robotics, Northeastern University, China
RoboCup competition of 3D humanoid simulation is new in the international match in
Atlanta, United States, 2007. At present, there is a popular simulator called Rcsoccersim provided
by RoboCup Committee which is a standard server/client system. However, some drawbacks exist
in the current simulator. Firstly, Rcsoccersim is based on many runtimes and applications, most of which need
to be compiled, and the installation is annoying and difficult. Secondly, the environment is simplified with
rough robot model and takes ODE as the physics engine whose functions are so limited and unstable for the humanoid
robot.
Therefore, Prof. TONG proposes a new HiFi 3D Simulation Platform, which is based on Microsoft Robotics
Studio, to RoboCup committee to establish a new category of simulation game, for the sake of bringing up accurate
physics engine, realistic 3D collision effect, real-time decision-making, 3D visual fidelity, and other essential
upgrades in terms of simulation techniques as well.
|
|
Additional Resources
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contact Us
Please send us
email, or write to
Microsoft Research Asia, University Relations, 5th Floor, Beijing Sigma
Center, No.49 Zhichun Road, Haidian District,
Beijing 100080, P. R. China. |
|
|
|
