Microsoft Research has put together a promotional video – Career in Computer Science. It features mediocre skateboarding, but a cute all-purpose personal robot. Though there’s a glitch: the robot runs into glass doors… This is where you come in, and ask your counselor about a career in computer science. 2:00 video below:

Video: Career in Computer Science – MS Research

Though I think I see where the problem is. Instead of using their own Microsoft Robotics Studio for development, the code (appropriately titled temp code) appears to be a mix of XML and JavaScript. Oh oh.. For a career in computer science, remember to use the right tools for the right job.

PROXIMITY MARKER was the problem (they forgot to add a variable?), but the rest just seems like filler text they pulled from… AtlasCompat, a JavaScript code for the Atlas Web Client Framework, found elsewhere in Microsoft Research labs. Well that would kind of make sense, except that the last line of visible code references AtlasCompat.js, and deals with mouse events in web browsers. No wonder the robot is buggy.

Thank you Alfred for pointing to the video.

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