Microsoft unveils RoboChamps, a simulated robotics league that is open to academics, hobbyists and developers from around the world. RoboChamps is built on top of Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio 2008 CTP using the physics enabled simulation environment to provide immersive 3D environments, simulated versions of robots with the opportunity of winning real robots.  

Microsoft announces the first Community Technical Preview (CTP) of Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio 2008. The preview contains a large number of new features and improvements including increased runtime performance, improved security management, support for distributed language integrated queries (LINQ), support for creating applications that run on multiple DSS nodes, and many new features in the Visual Simulation Environment. (Press Release)

This full installation refresh of Microsoft Robotics Studio (1.5) contains all available updates including the Runtime and Tools Update (please see detailed list of fixes) and the Samples Update.