The Microsoft® Robotics Developer Studio (MSRDS) and LEGO® robots together offer a flexible platform for creating robotic systems. Designed for novices with basic programming skills, Robot Development Using Microsoft® Robotics Developer Studio provides clear instructions on developing and operating robots. It includes an extensive array of examples, with corresponding step-by-step tutorials and explanations.

The first several chapters of the book introduce the development environment of MSRDS, including concurrency and coordination runtime (CCR), decentralized software services (DSS), visual simulation environment (VSE), and the Microsoft Visual Programming Language (MVPL). The text then covers the inputs and outputs to the robot and control logic and describes how MSRDS can be used to control a LEGO robot's hearing and vision. It also presents a real-life example involving a sumo robot contest. The final chapter provides information on related academic courses, websites, and books.

The top-down approach used in this text helps readers think of a robot as a system rather than an assemblage of parts. Readers gain an understanding of methods for integration, design trade-offs, and teamwork-all essential skills for building robots. The MSRDS codes for all examples are available at http://msrds.caece.net/

Readers will appreciate the authors' step-by-step approach to programming and constructing a basic robot that can interact with the world. This combination of a top-down approach and a step-by-step guide instructs the reader to take a holistic, system-based perspective rather than a traditional functional-component-based one when exploring the construction of an autonomous robot.-Eric W. Yocam, Computing Reviews, March 2012