Uploaded April 2018 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
The browser’s capibilities have snuck up on us over the years, and it’s turned into a full blown operating system! "But wait," I hear you protest, "it’s not like the browser can talk to stuff I have plugged in to my USB ports!". Ah! But it can!
The new WebUSB spec has arrived, and is already supported in at least one browser today. The previous hacks of connecting browsers to robots and other hardware will soon be a thing of the past. WebUSB as a first class API citizen opens up some great opportunities to create new and delightful experiences with robotics.
I’ll introduce you to the WebUSB API, its history, and compare it to previous ’hacks’ to demonstrate why this is such a big deal for you, as a web developer. There will be real hardware shown on stage ready to inspire you to think outside of the box of what browsers are really meant to be used for.
The browser’s capibilities have snuck up on us over the years, and it’s turned into a full blown operating system! "But wait," I hear you protest, "it’s not like the browser can talk to stuff I have plugged in to my USB ports!". Ah! But it can!
The new WebUSB spec has arrived, and is already supported in at least one browser today. The previous hacks of connecting browsers to robots and other hardware will soon be a thing of the past. WebUSB as a first class API citizen opens up some great opportunities to create new and delightful experiences with robotics.
I’ll introduce you to the WebUSB API, its history, and compare it to previous ’hacks’ to demonstrate why this is such a big deal for you, as a web developer. There will be real hardware shown on stage ready to inspire you to think outside of the box of what browsers are really meant to be used for.
