Screenshot of the SkillRunner homepage for Misty II. Source: Misty Robotics
BOULDER, Colo. — Misty Robotics Inc. today announced the availability of its new .NET software development kit for Misty II, which it described as “the first professional-grade platform robot.” Developers can now build skills for the robot with a JavaScript SDK or the new .NET SDK for the popular C# enterprise programming languages.
Misty Robotics said that the SDKs broaden the ecosystem of developers that can build Misty II applications for businesses, homes, research, and education. The platform became generally available in October.
“Misty Robotics is leading the way in the platform robot category, taking down the existing barriers to entry and enabling developers worldwide to build for and compete in the personal, service, healthcare, education, retail and entertainment robot markets,” stated Tim Enwall, CEO of Misty Robotics. “Misty Robotics has selected Microsoft as a technology partner for both the building of Misty II and the creation of her tools. With this new .NET SDK, we’re now opening up the Misty robotics platform to a broader developer audience.”
Developing for developers
The company said it created the new .NET SDK to enable developers to build sophisticated and complex skills for Misty II using C#. By pairing the .Net SDK with low-level hardware access, they can directly access sensor data, commands, debugging tools, and hardware resources. Developers can also tap into the extensive .NET ecosystem of libraries and sample code and build skills in native multi-threading.
“Given that I’m not a robotics expert but I do know C#, I was impressed with how quickly I was able to get up to speed programming Misty,” commented Scott Hanselman, principal community architect for Web platform and tools at Microsoft. “Direct deployment and debugging with a Visual Studio extension, a myriad of sensors, and a massive .NET SDK filled with familiar types made this a robotic playground.”
Misty Robotics said it offers robust tools, comprehensive documentation, and extensive application programming interfaces (APIs) to help developers. The Misty II platform’s tools include a user-friendly Command Center, a Skill Runner, and an API Explorer. Developers can access them through an easy-to-navigate SDK interface to test prebuilt skills and features on Misty before building their own.
Misty II features
Misty II comes equipped with technology such as a 3D depth camera, a microphone array, two Qualcomm processors, and obstacle detection and capacitive touch sensors.
Developers can extend the robot’s capabilities by integrating with third-party APIs such as those provided by Twilio, Microsoft, and Google. In addition, it can be expanded through third-party hardware such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi and physically augmented through 3D printing.
The Misty II robot is available today at $2,899, a discount of nearly 10% off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $3,199. The company also offers a payment plan and an interest-free option for qualified buyers that allows purchasers to acquire Misty II now and pay over time.
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