If you listened to Gearlog Radio last week, then you already know that PC Magazine Editor of Reviews Lance Ulanoff is a Robot nut. (And you missed him say the word, "bum".)

So, it didn't surprise me to learn that Lance is at the third annual RoboBusiness Conference & Expo, held in Pittsburgh's Station Square.

Other Ziff Davis reporters are there, including John Spooner, who notes that several executives at the conference said the market for mobile robots will grow steadily over the next 5 to 10 years.

Here's some interesting things going on in the robotic market:

-Microsoft launched a beta version of Microsoft Robotics Studio (MRS)--a software robotics standard for PC-based robots with 3D graphic simulations and a tutorial for robotics programming. You can download the Robotics Studio for free here.

-"Robo Dynamics is launching a series of Roomba interfaces with names like Roo232, to let Roomba work with Mini ITX boards; RooBasic, to add more sensors to Roomba; RooStick, to allow Roomba to connect to laptops that don't have legacy serial ports; and RooTooth, which gives Roomba wireless Bluetooth capabilities."

-"Elements Products, Inc., has created a serial interface (which is pictured here), complete with a built in microcontroller, which is about the size of a fingertip. Using the open-source WinAVR programming environment, Roomba owners can program in C and C++, compile the code and off-load through a USB/Serial interface to the small microcontroller for the price of $79.95. The controller is then plugged into to the Roomba, where it auto-boots, adding some new tricks to its repertoire."