LOS ANGELES, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Microsoft released a preview version of its first software toolkit for robotic applications on Tuesday, aiming to seize the robot market just like it did in the PC market two decades ago.

    The software named Robotics Studio is based on Microsoft's Windows operating system, which has been installed in some 90 percent of the PCs all over the world.

    Microsoft foresaw the market of robots, the next evolution of the personal computer, as being on the verge of a rapid take-off, and being fuelled by the availability of cheap, high-performance hardware components.

    But this market needs better tools and a common software platform that will let applications be reused on different types of robots, the software giant said.

    "The robotics industry is a lot like the PC industry in the late 1970s; it's difficult to know what key applications will open up the area," Tandy Trower, Microsoft Robotics Group general manager, said in a statement.

    "We believe this is a key part of the future of computing," he added.

    The software package, now available for free download in preview version, is aimed at all types of robot builders, from commercial users to academics and hobbyists, according to the company. It includes a set of tools and an execution environment that can run in a variety of devices.

    The tools also allow users to interact with robots through Web-based or Windows-based interfaces, or simulate robotic applications using realistic three dimensional models.

    Demonstrating the Robotics Studio at a professional conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, the company said it has received "positive response" from business and academic circles.

    "We've 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," Trower said.

    According to Microsoft, it has won several partners that plan to support the software. Those include the Carnegie Melon University, the Lego group and some robot makers. Enditem