Starting in 2015, Rethink Robotics will provide APIs allowing developers to improve Baxter.

Delivered means that during 2015 Rethink Robotics made available to developers or customers a programming interface, API or SDK through which third parties could program or extend Baxter's behaviour. An SDK or API that already existed and was still offered in 2015 also meets 'from next year'. Rethink's own announcement counts only if documentation or third-party use shows the interface was actually available. True: such an API/SDK was available in 2015. Mostly false: it became available only after 2015, or what was offered in 2015 was only an announcement or a closed beta without developer access. False: dated product documentation or reports show no developer API/SDK for Baxter existed during 2015, or that the plan was dropped.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 Release of the new SDK 1.1.1 for the Baxter robot Generation Robots (blog) · 26 May 2015

   “Rethink Robotics just released a new update of Baxter SDK: Baxter Research Robot SDK 1.1.1.”

2. E2 Repository Summary ROS Index (open-robotics index of ROS packages)

   “1.1.0 (2015-1-2) - Updates baxter_interface to ROS Indigo”

3. E3 GitHub - RethinkRobotics/baxter: Baxter Research Robot SDK GitHub (repository owned by RethinkRobotics)

   “The Baxter SDK provides a platform for development of custom applications for the Baxter Research Robot”

An independent robotics retailer reported on 2015-05-26 that Rethink Robotics had released Baxter Research Robot SDK 1.1.1 (E1). The ROS package index lists baxter_interface 1.1.0, dated 2015-1-2, updating it to ROS Indigo (E2). Rethink's public GitHub repository describes the SDK as a platform for building custom applications for Baxter (E3). Under the criteria, an SDK that existed and was still offered in 2015 counts as delivered, and this evidence shows developers could use one during 2015.