Robotics firm’s software kit makes code writing for robots easier

Anki is aiming to make an SDK that would be easy enough to use that robotics enthusiasts will be able to make the most of the hardware that’s available in the market without needing to learn advanced coding skills. Image INQUIRER.net

Getting into coding may not be as hard as most people think, but when it comes to coding for robots, things take on a whole new level. That’s why robot manufacturer Anki wants to make an easy-to-use software development kit (SDK) for programming robots.

READ: Meet Wall-E’s little cousin Cozmo

While there are numerous tools that are available on the market to get any robotics project going, few are actually able to maximize them because the knowledge required is often that possessed by PhD holders, according to Fast Company magazine.

Enthusiasts might be able to make LED lights blink or program their robots to move forward, but more complex activities demand more coding expertise.

Anki steps in to try and bridge the gap by releasing SDK based on what they used to program their diminutive robot Cozmo, who will be debuting this coming October.

Hanns Tappeiner, cofounder and president of Anki, said, “One of the things that we’re really interested in as a company is just in general trying to figure out how we can advance the field of robotics.”

“We realized we can open up an SDK to people where they get access to all this functionality with single lines of code, so it’s very, very easy for them to use,” he added.

While Cozmo’s own code contains millions of lines, Anki said that they were giving access to some of Cozmo’s functions with far fewer lines to work with.  Alfred Bayle