This week Microsoft released the latest beta of its Robotics Developer Studio 4 (RDS4) to developers. The RDS4 enables developers to create apps which control robots through the use of a Windows PC and a Xbox Kinect sensor.
Microsoft has not only provided developers with the software needed to create their robotic visions, they have also released a reference platform design spec for third party companies who might be interested in creating robots specifically designed to use the platform. The software is currently free to download, and includes support for Microsoft .NET Framework 4, XNA Game Studio 4.0, and Visual Studio 2010.