| Projections from technology experts and consumers | | | | companies in the industry to develop its software. |
| suggest that robotics will be extremely important in | | | | With their aid, Willow Garage has developed strong |
| industry and our everyday lives in the next few | | | | software bases upon which robotics enthusiasts can |
| years. Literature and science fiction movies predicted | | | | use to construct their applications. Robotics |
| this trend years ago, but it is becoming more real as | | | | applications include working with NASA even recruited |
| technology continues to advance. Willow Garage | | | | the company to develop open source code for |
| looks like it could be the Microsoft of the growing | | | | robots that are going to be used for planet |
| industry. The company's biggest asset is the open | | | | exploration. |
| source Robot Operating System (ROS) it took over | | | | Willow Garage's vision is in building the entire industry |
| from Stanford AI Labs a year after its inception. | | | | and changing the impact that robotics will have on |
| ROS works more or less the same as any other | | | | the rest of society. They are currently planning on |
| operating system with exception that part of the | | | | developing an environment where robotics |
| system is set aside for managing the nodes that | | | | applications can be shared and distributed more |
| have been contributed by the rest of the community. | | | | effectively. They have become one of the |
| The open source nature of the operating system is | | | | authorities on forecasting trends in the field and using |
| the reason it is expected to become the centerpiece | | | | those trends to develop their projects. Willow Garage |
| of robotics software. | | | | envisions days when robots will see, and address the |
| Programmers contribute to ROS to create value to | | | | possibility that robots may be misused by |
| the entire industry. They have already achieved | | | | unscrupulous individuals if appropriate precautions are |
| several milestones that other robotics companies | | | | not taken. |
| haven't been able to figure out before. These include | | | | There seems to be little doubt that robots are going |
| teaching robots to navigate through a room to | | | | to affect our lives in more ways than we can |
| recharge their batteries when they have reached | | | | imagine. As the robotics industry begins to soar, |
| critical capacity and being careful when holding fragile | | | | Willow Garage will almost certainly ride its way to the |
| objects. | | | | top. |
| Willow Garage has worked closely with other | | | | |