Microsoft announced that developers and researchers will be able to take advantage of a new simulator that will let people test and train robots and drones in a virtual environment to prepare them for moving around the real world.
Microsoft said that it hopes to help the “democratization of robotics” with the move, which will assist individuals, researchers and companies with testing of systems that would otherwise be impossible, or too resource-intensive for them to do on their own.
While some simulators have existed to help test drone paths and prepare devices for autonomous operations, Microsoft claims its latest tool is far more advanced, and more accurately reflects the navigation challenges of the real world. According to a report by The Verge, engineers are already exploring the possibility of training real-life action in virtual worlds. Microsoft is using the latest photorealistic technologies, so its simulator will let you guide a drone over a realistic setting with shadows and reflections.
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