Microsoft has unveiled a community technology preview (CTP) of a new Windows-based operating system designed to power robots.

The Microsoft Robotics Studio development platform is designed for academic, hobbyist and commercial developers creating robotic applications for a wide variety of computing platforms.

According to the software giant, today's improved processors and lower-cost sensors are fueling the development of robotics applications for a broad variety of devices, from household vacuums to unmanned vehicles for search and rescue missions.

Microsoft Robotics Studio is designed to provide a common development platform for robot creators to overcome one of the biggest remaining hurdles: the fragmentation of the robotics industry caused by today's incompatible platforms.

"Microsoft sees great potential in robotics, and we are excited to deliver our first CTP of Robotics Studio, making it easier to create robotic applications across a wide variety of hardware, users and scenarios," said Tandy Trower, general manager of the Microsoft Robotics Group at Microsoft.

"We have reached out to a broad range of leading robotics companies and academics early on in the development process and are thrilled with the positive response from the community."

The Microsoft Robotics Studio environment includes a visual programming tool designed to help debug robot applications.

It also features tools designed to help would-be robot builders to generate modular services for hardware and software, allowing users to interact with robots through web-based or Windows-based interfaces.