Product Description
BUILD A CAR ROBOT,SAVE THOU$AND$
(and master some of the most sophisticated concepts in robotics)

This thoughtful guide gives you complete, illustrated plans and instructions for building a 1:10-scale car robot that would cost thousands of dollars if bought off the shelf. But beyond hours of entertainment and satisfaction spent creating and operating an impressive and fun project, Mobile Robotic Car Design provides serious insight into the science and art of robotics. Written by robotics experts, this book gives you a solid background in electrical and mechanical theory, and the design savvy to conceptualize, enlarge, and build robotics projects of your own.

A WORKING CAR ROBOT—AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MAKES IT WORK In these pages, robot designers Pushkin Kachroo and Patricia Mellodge will help you --

*Build an impressive robot vehicle that can regulate its own speed and direction, for a cost of about $1000.
*Give your robot car the ability to sense and respond to the environment
*Experiment with automatic cruise control that alters speed to meet conditions
*Learn what it takes to build a security robot that can patrol actively or passively
*Grasp the theory and principles behind robot design and operation
*Learn what makes servos, sensors, motors, and controls work
*Examine the source code for the PIC microcontroller and the DSP (digital signal processor)
*Find free code for the car's printed circuit board at the companion website
*Get a complete parts list and list of parts suppliers ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Best analisys I've seen on a robotics book.
Hello.

This book is one of the best I've seen and read so far.

I have several books on robot building (Gordon, Miles, Cook, Williams, Jones, Groover, Clark, Iovine, etc) and this book has captured every aspect that I was looking for.

The author explains the matter step by step througly thus giving the reader the sense that HE KNOWS what he's talking about (very important).

The other book similar to this one is "INDUSTRIAL ROBOTICS: TECHNOLOGY, PROGRAMMING, AND APPLICATIONS", though, a bit old (1986), has mathematical analisys and good examples overall.

But this book (Mobile Robotic Car Design) excels on the analisys part. And best of all, it introduces the reader to mathematical information that one CAN understand, using MATLAB.

The book is divided in two parts:

Part 1
Hardware Implementation.- This is dedicated on how to make the robotic car, the hardware,programming (PIC and DSP) and several techinques that one would see on other robo building books.

Part 2
Theory of mobile robots.- This is where the interesting part begins. The math and how it can be used in our favor.

The book is worth the money IF you're into every detail of design. It has good information if you're only triying to make a robot but it would definitely be TOO MUCH for many (the robot DNA series would do).

This book is recommended for engineers and hobbyist as stated on a review, but mostly for engineers.

On another note:
Jones book, "Robot programming", is a good book for people that already have a robotic car, it's a good companion for this book.

Mobile Robotic Car Design Great for Hobbyists and Engineers
While reading the book, I found it to be understandable and easy to follow.The diagrams and step-by-step process was very helpful in understanding the Mobile Robotic Car Design.I would highly recommend this book to people like hobbyists and engineers who would like a well designed platform to test their vehicle control experiments, obstacle avoidance, or anything else your imagination can come up with. ... Read more

Product Description

ReadHowYouWant publishes a wide variety of best selling books in Large Print and Super Large Print formats in partnership with leading publishers. EasyRead books are available in 11pt and 13pt. type. EasyRead Large books are available in 16pt, 16pt Bold, and 18pt Bold type. EasyRead Super Large books are available in 20pt. Bold and 24pt. Bold Type. You choose the format that is right for you.

Robots have become more common than most people think. The automated vacuum cleaner that operates by itself is a robot. So are the mechanical miniature cats, dogs, and humans sold as toys. Many industries? such as the automotive industry? employ robots in the manufacture and distribution of goods. Robots also serve as stand-ins for humans in such dangerous activities as flying in surveillance aircraft, space and deep sea exploration, handling explosives for police bomb squads, and mining. Careers in Robotics clearly and specifically lays out the path to follow towards an exciting and rewarding career in this expanding field that truly is at the cutting edge of both technology and culture.

To find more titles in your Large Print or Super Large Print format, Search in Books using EasyRead and the size of the font that makes reading easier and more enjoyable for you.

Product Description

Look ahead to the future of surgery--with the first comprehensive robotic surgery reference

Representing a landmark in the medical literature, Robotic Surgery is the first complete robotic surgery sourcebook. In its pages, you'll explore the new frontiers of robotic and remote technologies, which bring us closer to the goal of achieving the benefits of traditional surgery with the least disruption to the normal functions of the human body. The authors take you through the fundamental principles of robotic surgery and provide clear instruction on their clinical application.

Product Description
Autonomous robots are intelligent machines capable of performing tasks in the world by themselves, without explicit human control. Examples range from autonomous helicopters to Roomba, the robot vacuum cleaner. In this book, George Bekey offers an introduction to the science and practice of autonomous robots that can be used both in the classroom and as a reference for industry professionals. He surveys the hardware implementations of more than 300 current systems, reviews some of their application areas, and examines the underlying technology, including control, architectures, learning, manipulation, grasping, navigation, and mapping. Living systems can be considered the prototypes of autonomous systems, and Bekey explores the biological inspiration that forms the basis of many recent developments in robotics. He also discusses robot control issues and the design of control architectures.

After an overview of the field that introduces some of its fundamental concepts, the book presents background material on hardware, control (from both biological and engineering perspectives), software architecture, and robot intelligence. It then examines a broad range of implementations and applications, including locomotion (wheeled, legged, flying, swimming, and crawling robots), manipulation (both arms and hands), localization, navigation, and mapping. The many case studies and specific applications include robots built for research, industry, and the military, among them underwater robotic vehicles, walking machines with four, six, and eight legs, and the famous humanoid robots Cog, Kismet, ASIMO,"and QRIO. The book concludes with reflections on the future of robotics—the potential benefits as well as the possible dangers that may arise from large numbers of increasingly intelligent and autonomous robots. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

great collection
This book is friendly reading, and excellent collection. Though the humanoid robot had skyrocket change, compared with 2005. Most of the book are up to day.

I also agreed that this book is a review, and lack of detail. Anyway, it is impossible for "one book" to packed too much math or engineering detail in. Thus I still recommended this book for under-graduated school, or others who is newbie.

Good Read!
This book provides good and comprehensive overview of a variety of mobile robots such as the wheeled, tracked, legged, snake, underwater and flying robots. Starting from the fundamental structural elements, it examines the software architectures for autonomous robots, locomotion, navigation, control, learning and applications. In particular, the review of humanoid robots and control of multiple robots are most interesting. There are around 200 photographs of robots which are very useful for illustration. Because of little technical details, the book is accessible to most readers.

Very nice overview, introduction, & survey, but not enough engineering details
Yes, this book provides a fine overview. I need to get the essential information to supervise development of autonomous mobile robots by a team of engineering seniors. This book does not provide me with enough technical information to know the essential abstractions, math models, etc. to guide the project.

My favorite book on the subject is still "Introduction to Autonomous Mobile Robots" by Sigward & Nourbahksh, because it meets my needs.

timely survey of moving robots
MIT is one of the key centres of robotics and it is no surprise that this text hails from it. Bekey provides a timely survey (circa 2005) of the state of autonomous robotics. He mentions some robots which have become commercially available recently, like Sony's Aibo, or the Roomba, Asimo or Cog. While simple and cheap, these robots involve key issues of mobility, sensors and decision making.

There are several types of land locomotion. Bekey gives a summary of various efforts since the 70s, to use 4, 6 or 8 legs in a robot.

Aside from locomotion, the book covers many other topics. Such as arm motion and manipulation. This even includes the "exotic" use of neural networks to do inverse kinematics mappings. Though Bekey cautions that the slow convergence of these networks is a serious drawback to realtime usage.

The book should be very readable to someone with a general background in science or engineering. It defers specialised technical details to the papers and texts given in its references.

Great overview
This is a broad brush overview of autonomous robotics.It covers a lot of ground and the depth is not great.But it is an outstanding introduction for just about anybody interested in autonomous robotics.To me it is interesting that the book takes such a biological approach.I have other books that actively try to cover up the biological inspiration.This book flounts it.Controls, structures, learning, software architectures, locomotion, it is all here.Although there is not a lot of depth in the volume, the chosen style and depth makes the book available to a very wide audience and the list of references is tremendous.That is after all where one learns this material. ... Read more

Product Description
Text provides step-by-step, illustrated directions for designing, constructing, and testing a fully functional computer numerical control (CNC) robot. Includes time-saving tips, tricks, and pictoral help along the way. Softcover. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

I should have payed attention to the reviews.
I bought this book even after reading all of the negative reviews,

I should have paid attention to the other reviews. I did not get a lot out of the book.

Not what I was looking for
Thankfully, I checked this book out from the library rather than parting with any of my hard-earned cash.This is definitely a testament to the old saying "don't judge a book by its cover."To be honest, I haven't read the whole book.I just scanned through everything, and all of the above comments seem to fit perfectly.Much of the information seems to be either too technical or too vague.I really want to learn some CNC basics and some fundamentals of how to construct a DIY CNC machine, not how to print my own circuit boards or how the author was able to cobble together his machine from some junk parts of some rare camera.Don't get me wrong, there is some good information in here.I guess I just need a little more hand-holding at this point.

Definitely NOT CNC Robotics!
At best, it is just "build a machine that response to CNC program (G-Code)to kill your time - if you have too much."

Ask yourself the follow question before buy this book: Can you accept a CNC with unknown accuracy (my guess is 1mm error at best)? If you can accept it, this book is for you.

I didn't and will not follow the author's path, followings are the reason:

1)He use scrap material, he dismantle his camera for "liner rail", he find "square" beam from scrap shops...etc.His measurement of "square" is based on combination square.His measurement of level is based on "trial & error" with height gauge, not even dial indicator.

2)He use stepper motor based on "available" and didn't mention how you can estimate the required torque to drive the ...... ACME lead screw.ACME is good for its lower cost compare with Ball screw, but you've a price to pay, backlash.Some CNC software can handle it, but the author just didn't care.I doubt when it mill a square, will / can it closes the path?

3)It is just a CNC table that clamps a pen or a router on its Z-Axis.So, it is just a wood-working CNC router, not a CNC machine, definitely not `robotics' standard.God, the book's name is too sexy for me.

4)Don't expect any calculation / estimation that can help to design you own CNC, there is no such thing in this book, and everything is done by wild guess.

5)Don't expect to gain any insight from watching / learning the author's approach to build a CNC.He use lengthy text description on how he drill a hole, put the steel beam in level (concrete floor) and use "measuring tape" to locate the centers for drilling.It is terrible, if you're a (hobby) machinist or dealing with metalworking.Can you imagine to 'arc weld' your machine's frame?What accuracy will leave for your measurement after such a destructive task is done?

Why I buy this book?It's because the author write a very sexy preface and introduction, a very logical table of content, and most important, Kindle let me preview only up to the first chapter.My verdict: save your money.

If you can settle with the low accuracy & repeatability, why need a CNC?If you just want to repeat routing a 2.5D pattern, just make yourself a fixture / jig / template will be more than enough.

CNC Robotics: Build Your Own Workshop Bot
Good resorce. Useful practical information, which has helped my decision making for a similar project.

Good book
Seeing the not so great reviews of this book I almost did not buy the book.
You will definitely need to find your own way through this project but this book is really informative. The author surely knows what he is talking about and its a fun read. ... Read more

Product Description
With the proliferation of many types of robots in recent years, there is a real need to assist engineers, automation manufacturers, and robot aficionados in the proper selection, care, and feeding of a robot to achieve the maximum in productivity. This book does just that, along with classifying robots in accordance to their complexity and function provided. The book is perfect for large corporations as well as smaller "Mom and Pop" shops who may be considering using robots to help their industrial applications. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Vision, umembical , welding, painting, assembly, tracking
Vision: "If a general-purpose vision system is used, there is no easy way to determine if the problem is with the robot, the vision system or some combination of robot and vision. In addition, if the vision was purchased from a robot supplier, it is likely the supplier has experience with similar applications." "Are the broader range of options available in the general-purpose system worth the extra time and cost require to make use of them for a robotic vision applications?"

Tracking Systems: Tast, this method uses the welding arc as a sensor to measure variations in the welding current that are caused by changes in arc length. Laser, the laser must be place in front of the welding torch to allow the laser to scan across the weld joint. A camera inside the sensor monitors the laser light to determine the location of the weld joint and passes this information to the robot. Touch sensing, the robot finds a seam by using the welding electrode or a separate pointer to make electrical contact with the part. The robot performs a search pattern so that it can touch the part to find out how far the seam has shifted and rotated it up to three dimensions. An offset can then be applied to every weld that is on this seam.

Well Dressed, the integrated dress pack carries all the power, data, pneumatic and hydraulic hoses bundled inside a highly flexible, polyurethane jacket. "With proper installation, umbilicals can increase cable and hose life tenfold"

Laser cutting, with a minimum of six degrees of freedom, a robot can reach in and around tooling to cut required features into a part. Small work cells can have one ore more robots in the same cell increasing production. Often two robots are able to share the same laser. The robot can utilize flexible programming allowing it to be redeployed to cut a new part. "A robotic laser cutting system is not competitive in high-volume flat sheet cutting that can be performed by a dedicated 2D laser-cutting machine. Part volumes should be 50,000 to 100,000.

Small shops, "as companies strive to enhance their time to market, the role of robots becomes particularly critical for smaller shops, where ergonomic issues and absenteeism impact the bottom line." First time robot users should not expect to automate all parts at once, but start with one family part and develop a good understanding of the automation and gradually automate additional part families. ROI, "vision provides higher flexibility and reduces the cost of part location. More than one part type can run the same cell without the need to invest in dedicated fixtures. Part can be delivered in a tray or a multiplayer tray system."

Outstanding robotics reference
Now that robots have become more affordable, they are "trickling" down into smaller businesses and being used for more unexpected and varied tasks in larger enterprises.This book will have you thinking about new ways to employ robotic systems and machine vision in your operations.There are numerous descriptions of successful robotic implementations, an excellent section on productivity of robotic systems, and clear descriptions of methods of calculating payback.Very helpful as well when working with management to get approval of a new robotic system.Recommended!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Biomimetics — creating machines or materials by copying nature — is responsible for everything from non-skid shoes (based on dogs’ padded paws) to the Eiffel Tower (based on the human thighbone). This book combines in-depth information on the use of robots today, showing how bats inspire designers to create robots and letting young enthusiasts build their own flying dinosaur, complete with light-up eyes and flapping wings. Included are 32 pages of scientific discoveries, with full-color illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Robotic Bat
Great product!I both it from gooddeals and they were great with everything, very good customer service!

another wonderful robotic toy
This is the second robotic toy and book my grandson finished. The book was perfect, great info and entertaining. Putting the robotic together is challenging without being overwhelming. the bat is especially exciting when finished. He is looking foward to adding to his robotic collection.

Fun and Informative!
I have this book and it comes with a toy! This book is packed with great information about bats and the technology. It will appeal to your little naturalist while at the same time delighting all those mini-engineers!

The information is rich and concise and this book will educate your child while they play! I like it!
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A superb history of artificial people in film
J. P. Telotte is one of the foremost authorities on the science fiction film in academia today, having also broader survey of the history of the SF film, entitled simply SCIENCE FICTION FILM, and of higher technology in world cinema, entitled simply A DISTANT TECHNOLOGY: SCIENCE FICTION FILM AND THE MACHINE AGE.The value of this volume consists in its focus on what Telotte correctly identifies as the most dominant motif in the SF film, the artificial person, whether conceived as robot, android, cyborg, replicant, or reanimated being.

The book's greatest strength is that it manages to hit all the highpoints in the history of cinema.One might have wished for some films to receive more or even some discussion, but there can be no quibbling that the films actually discussed represent the most important films of the genre.I also liked that he included a chapter on serials, the only place where you can find robots onscreen (with minor exceptions) between METROPOLIS in 1927 and Gort in THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL in 1951.Apart from a needlessly convoluted dissection of FORBIDDEN PLANET, most of his analyses are interesting and insightful.This is likely to stand as one of the standard works on artificial people in film for some time to come.

The book is not without flaws.It at times falls prey to some of the weaknesses of academic writing.For instance, I mentioned above the rather poor discussion of FORBIDDEN PLANET, with a rather beside-the-point belaboring of "doubles" within the film.The writing on doubling mainly serves to present a rather strained point that fails to illuminate anything in the film, but merely serves to articulate an insight that feels rather manufactured.Luckily this is an exception in the book.

One thing that I rather regret in the book is that it continues the rather harsh division between film and television.In the past 25 years far more has been done with robots, cyborgs, and other artificial people than in film.In addition, because television is better suited for in depth character analysis, the explorations of the issues raised by these creations are far more developed.Granted that this book was published in 1995 and therefore before the advent of Max on DARK ANGEL, Adam in Season Four of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, Sharon Agathon and other Cylons on BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, Seven of Nine and the Emergency Holographic Doctor on STAR TREK: VOYAGER, Andromeda Ascendant on ANDROMEDA, Jake on JAKE 2.0, Kyle on KYLE XY, and Cameron on TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES.Nonetheless, there had been a plethora of robots on TV, including the Robot on LOST IN SPACE (clearly a version of Robbie the Robot, who receives considerable discussion in the book), Rhoda Miller in MY LIVING DOLL, the Daleks and Cybermen on DR. WHO, Hymie on GET SMART, Max Headroom on the show of the same name, Hawks and McQueen on SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND, and, most importantly, Data on STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION.The ST:TNG episode "The Measure of a Man" is very nearly as important as BLADE RUNNER or ROBOCOP in exploring precisely what it means to be a person.But in the end, I think the omission of any discussion of TV reflects the ongoing though misguided assumption that film is "important" while television is not.Though I ran two different film societies while in grad school, my own belief has evolved in recent years to where I believe that television has actually surpassed film as the thinking person's medium.I am hardly alone in this.There has been an incredible explosion in academic writing about television in the past decade.Hopefully people will cease viewing television and film in such exclusive ways, since the two media are so deeply intertwined.There are, of course, major differences, but these differences as well as their likenesses should be addressed, not ignored.

Still, this is going to remain one of the key texts on the history of artificial people in film.More than aliens, space travel, or time travel, the robot, cyborg, or android is the motif of choice for the modern SF film.This excellent book provides a solid exploration of the history of that motif. ... Read more

Product Description
Written from a manufacturing perspective, this book takes readers step-by-step through the theory and application techniques of designing and building a robot-driven automated work cell—from selection of hardware through programming of the devices to economic justification of the project. All-inclusive in approach, it covers not only robot automation, but all the other technology needed in the automated work cell to integrate the robot with the work environment and with the enterprise data base. Robot and other required automation hardware and software are introduced in the order in which they would be selected in an actual industrial automation design. Includes system troubleshooting guides, case studies problems, and worked example problems.Robot Classification. Automated Work Cells and CIM Systems. End-of-Arm Tooling. Automation Sensors. Work-Cell Support Systems. Robot and System Integration. Work-Cell Programming. Justification and Applications of Work Cells. Safety. Human Interface: Operator Training, Acceptance, and Problems.For those interested in Robotics and Manufacturing Automation or Production Design. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Robotics Text
very informative text, but i thought it could have included more pictures and color photographs of the various types of robots, etc. ... Read more

Product Description

This book presents a unique combination of mobile robots and embedded systems, from introductory to intermediate level. It is structured in three parts, dealing with embedded systems (hardware and software design, actuators, sensors, PID control, multitasking), mobile robot design (driving, balancing, walking, and flying robots), and mobile robot applications (mapping, robot soccer, genetic algorithms, neural networks, behavior-based systems, and simulation). The book is written as a text for courses in computer science, computer engineering, IT, electronic engineering, and mechatronics, as well as a guide for robot hobbyists and researchers.

Customer Reviews (4)

It's good but not essential
A good general coverage.

This book is a good overview of robotics design and development.My main dissapointment with it was the focus on the controller which is a commercial unit you would need to purchase in order to use the code contained in the book.The unit is expensive to say the least for what it is and I found myself deciding that I would simply adapt what I could to my own controllers and treat the volume as a general overview.

I did like it's chapter on multi-directional wheels and some of the code showed some straight forward ways of going about robot routine programming.

Overall though the book is not going to be overly useful to the robotics designer unless your hell bent on purchasing the controller it promotes.

In conclusion it's a uni students book, where the Uni will have brought a few of the controllers for the students to interface too and program.For the rest of us, it's just bits and pieces of information, where without the controller it will only be about 45% value.

Sean A. Curtin

A treasure chest of ideas
This book is a real treasure chest of ideas for an amateur robot builder. It does not show solutions in enough detail to copy them, but it points you in the right direction.

For me some of the most interesting topics covered were:
- Motorola M68332 based general purpose robot controller board,
- Introduction to different robot competitions,
- Simplified image processing solutions,
- Walking robots and evolutionary programs to control the gait,
- Examples of real life robots.

Comments to Embedded Robotics
Hi, so far the book is a little dissapointeing, because is to much centered to a commercial hardware (EyeCon) that is somewhat hard to adquiere to a group that has a very low budget for that kind of projects... but is important to have a reference. That is why it deserve a 3. But also supply a very important source of information for sensors and actuators design. That is why i gave an average of 4 stars.

Best regards, and thanks for all the effort you made for me enjoying this book.

the best book for student
After I have read the book contents, I think it is a great book fo me. From this book, I can get many new knowledge, including many field. I want this book to guide my student to take part in
robot contest. ... Read more

Product Description
Here's everything the robotics hobbyist needs to harness the power of the PICMicro MCU!

In this heavily-illustrated resource, author John Iovine provides plans and complete parts listsfor 11 easy-to-build robots each with a PICMicro"brain.The expertly written coverage of the PIC Basic Computer makes programming a snap -- and lots of fun. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Exelent seller
when I saw the book it said that it was used, i thought that it was in bad conditions, but was quite the opposite this was as if it had never been opened. Also the shipping was faster that i tought. The truth is that i am very satisfied with the purchase. I recommend this seller.

Another work from Iovine that's worth skipping...
Like many of John Iovine's works with McGraw Hill- this one's definitely a no-go. I don't know when I'll finally learn my lesson buying his books-but I'll say it now-never again.Incomplete schematics, errors, and general garden variety stuff which we've al seen before, and not even that much of it.But that's only my humble opinion...-Paul

Excellent through & through
Highly recommended for those somewhat new to PIC, Basic, and robotics.Keep it center-shelf eye-level.

Garbage!!!
I picked this book up and started reading the CMU camera chapter.The chapter lack depth and completeness.The author says nothing about how the image could be transmitted wirelessly to the PC or how the CMU camera communicates with the PIC.It seems that he is more concerned with selling the camera from his company Images SI than he is with writing a good book.The only useful thing that he mentioned is that you need to activate a software flourescent filter in a room that uses such lighting.But the price definately reflects the quality in this case!

An excellent way to get started in PIC robotics.
I've been programming PIC Microcontrollers (with PIC Basic Pro) for a while now.They're really an invaluable tool for the modern electronics hobbyist, and the PIC Basic language couldn't be easier to write with.That being said, this book does assume you have at least some minimal knowledge of Basic, but really you could get by without it (the very point of Basic is that it's supposed to read like plain English -- which it does!), as the function of nearly every line of code is explained.The first few chapters are even dedicated to showing a complete beginner how to compile and program everything and build a basic test circuit.Very helpful if you've never worked with PICs before.

But on to the real substance of the book -- the projects!There's six complete robotics projects here; ranging from primitive light-seeking robots (that recreate some of the first robots ever to be built, back when AI was a new idea) to a bipedal walker (meaning, it actually has legs and a gait like that of a human -- it doesn't just tilt and waddle to simulate "walking" as virtually every other one of these purported "bipedal" robots do), robotic arms (made from ordinary servomotors), a six-legged walker, speech recognition and a full-color vision system.Impressive!

Another nice thing is that every one of them can be built with basic, inexpensive tools (though pre-made circuit boards and kits are available, to make it even easier).The diagrams and illustrations are clear and concise; every detail of every step is shown -- you can't go wrong.

As I mentioned, the real walking action of the bipedal walker is quite impressive, but I'd like to say more about the vision system, or the CMU Camera.This is a small camera which outputs data serially, to either your PC or a PIC Micro.In this instance, the camera is mounted on top of a three-wheel robot which can, utilizing edge detection in the PIC, actually follow a given target!This may sound complex (and, I suppose, it is), but it's explained in a very easy-to-follow manner.And it's more than just "put this part here" -- the theory is explained in terms that make it easy to understand, too.This gives you the know-how to put these concepts to use in your own projects.

Finally, to address the criticisms of other reviewers -- no, the book doesn't teach you assembly (it says right on the cover "No Assembly Language Programming Required"); but that's just it -- you don't need it!PIC Basic does the same thing, faster and easier.Do you really want to write out hundreds of lines of cryptic assembly code for what you could accomplish with just a few lines of Basic?The nominal cost is well worth it when you consider the *very* significant time savings.

If you're interested in building your own robots, this book is an excellent way to get started. ... Read more

Product Description
New approaches to artificial intelligence spring from the idea that intelligence emerges as much from cells, bodies, and societies as it does from evolution, development, and learning. Traditionally, artificial intelligence has been concerned with reproducing the abilities of human brains; newer approaches take inspiration from a wider range of biological structures that that are capable of autonomous self-organization. Examples of these new approaches include evolutionary computation and evolutionary electronics, artificial neural networks, immune systems, biorobotics, and swarm intelligence—to mention only a few. This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the emerging field of biologically inspired artificial intelligence that can be used as an upper-level text or as a reference for researchers.

Each chapter presents computational approaches inspired by a different biological system; each begins with background information about the biological system and then proceeds to develop computational models that make use of biological concepts. The chapters cover evolutionary computation and electronics; cellular systems; neural systems, including neuromorphic engineering; developmental systems; immune systems; behavioral systems—including several approaches to robotics, including behavior-based, bio-mimetic, epigenetic, and evolutionary robots; and collective systems, including swarm robotics as well as cooperative and competitive co-evolving systems. Chapters end with a concluding overview and suggested reading.

A teacher's kit with slides and exercises is available online at http://baibook.epfl.ch/ ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very cohearent covering of a large territory understandable even to a layperson
www.gabrielfalco.com
Concepts detailed in this text have become pillars of my thinking. Every year I purchase several textbooks to educate myself on topics that interest me. Bio-Inspired Artificial Intelligence balances delivering conceptual detail with real world integrated examples to aid in deep and successful comprehension of the topics. The text answers questions, informs and prompts one ask broader questions. Incredibly, it is actually very enjoyable to read; I think this may have to do with the good writing.
... Read more

Product Description

More descriptive, less mathematical, and easier to read than other books on the subject of robotics. Provides an introduction to robotics—definition, history, description, applications, maintenance, human safety, artificial intelligence, rationale, the future. Investigates the intelligence of the robot and reviews robot sensors. Focuses on software, but devotes considerable attention to the electronics (computer hardware) of the robot. Designed to meet the needs of those with or without extensive technical background.

Customer Reviews (1)

The book was in good shape
I bought the book for my son.He was happy with it. It was in good condition. ... Read more

Product Description

Manned space programs attract the most media attention, and it is not hard to understand why -- the danger, the heroism, the sheer adventure we as earthbound observers can imagine when humans are involved. But robotic missions deserve a respectful and detailed history and analysis of their own, and this book provides it.

Focusing on future modern spacecraft, Michel van Pelt explains the exciting life of unmanned space explorers, making the technology, design, development, operation and results of modern space probe missions understandable by lay readers.

Instead of describing one specific spacecraft or mission, Michel van Pelt offers a "behind the scenes" look at the life of a space probe: from its first conceptual design to the analysis of the scientific data returned by the spacecraft.

While most popular books on space concentrate on manned spaceflight, this book shows that unmanned space exploration is just as exciting. It demonstrates to the reader just what it takes to send a robotic spacecraft to another planet and what fascinating insight and knowledge we have gained from these probes.

**Offers an insight into the life of a space probe from concept through design to return and analysis of scientific data.

**Explains what it takes to send a robotic space probe to another planet.

**Demonstrates that unmanned space exploration can be as exciting as manned exploration.

**Provides the reader with a view of how the fascinating images and knowledge are obtained from these probes.

**Focuses on modern spacecraft and the future, rather than the history of past projects

Customer Reviews (2)

An enyoyable read
This book's about unmanned spacecraft (is there any "manned" spacecraft aside from Apollo anyway? orbiters don't count!). But in a very generic way. So much, that along the first chapters the author says a couple of times "sometimes the rovers are built this way, some other times they are built this other way", giving the impression there are a thousand rovers out there or in production. It would have been easier to exemplify with real rovers. This pattern of extreme generalization is repeated too much to my taste for a field where the number of samples (spacecraft) is very limited. Also, I was expecting to have detailed information and accountings on most spaceprobes, if not all: their scientific achievements, goals, detailed numbers. But this book is not a historical account (and I admit it's my fault to have expected that, not the author's). Rather, as the very adequate subtitle points out, it's about "how robotic spacecraft explore the solar system". And on this last statement, this book very much succeeds and it's a pleasure to follow. It begins by "dissecting" an imaginary generic space probe and explaining what each subsystem is for, and its possible variations/configurations according to mission needs (I was astonished to learn the dangers behind the radioisotope thermal generators -RTGs- and that any single technician is allowed to work on them for just 2 minutes in his entire life!).

Later on the book, the author takes us on a tour following the route of a spacecraft on the ground, from building, testing, adding instruments, and all the way through launch. Finally, he chooses a couple of missions he considers adequate examples and takes us through a detailed account of them (but just on a couple, remember this is no history book!). I particularly enjoyed the account of the Huygens probe on its ride into Titan, and the very interesting details on Ulysses. No surprise the author is an ESA guy!

The last chapter is a speculation on what awaits us in the future of spacecraft --but an insider's, well funded speculation.

All in all, and despite not being exactly what I was originally looking for, I enjoyed the book very much, as well as the fun that the author adds here and there. Summarizing, if you're looking for the nits and bits of classic missions such as the Voyagers, Vikings, etc., look elsewhere. If you want details onto how these things work in general, then you're on target.

The long arms of Man
In the beginning half a century ago there was a real dichotomy between the perception of "manned" and "unmanned" missions. These days the difference stands between "planned", i.e. mostly imagined, manned multibillion missions with men on, say Mars, and the multihundred million real missions where you have spacecraft and instruments out among the planets, moons, comets, asteroids and whatnot, with their hardworking crews in the Mission Controls here on Earth. We invade the Solar Systems with programmable senses aboard the spacecrafts, tied to our perception with unseen electronic nerve connections. The Solar System enfolded, since the beginnings half a century ago, as a collection of much more hostile places than could be imaginedduring those decades when space technology was born and developed. Fortunately the technology of guidance and control, needed by process industry as well as by ballistic missiles could be adapted tospacecrafts.
Crafts in space - crew on the gound. Thus man is not put at risk, and through the years there has been a plethora of mishaps fatal to the craft, mostly only embarrassing for their crews and patrons. Most of the places visited by our spacecraft would be wery difficult environments for man, and some of them would be positively lethal. To this day almost all - with a few exceptions - of the invaders were sent out on one-way missions. Michel van Pelt has done us all a great service in describing in layman's language how all this came to be. He also describes how the "old" Solar System gradually is superseded by a new, more complete understanding of how the diversity of worlds still underline the commonality of the physical laws governing their evolution. Thus we gain a clearer understanding also of our own place in the scheme of things.
There has been a lot going on between the first Lunas and Pioneers of the nineteen fifties and the Cassini-Huygens, Deep Space, SMART-1 and Messenger of today, it takes an exposition as "Space Invaders" to give the full scope of our "robotic" exploration, which, of course, will be going on for the foreseeable future.If anything, there should be lots of excitement still ahead.
To explain the "how" and the "when" of all this, in a volume of some 300 pages, including glossary and index, is a tall order for anyone. van Pelt has accepted the challenge and comes through with flying colours. All the salient points get covered, in a lucid prose. During the reading the "why's" of it all unfold, bit by bit. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This book looks at multiagent systems that consist of teams of autonomous agents acting in real-time, noisy, collaborative, and adversarial environments. The book makes four main contributions to the fields of machine learning and multiagent systems.First, it describes an architecture within which a flexible team structure allows member agents to decompose a task into flexible roles and to switch roles while acting. Second, it presents layered learning, a general-purpose machine-learning method for complex domains in which learning a mapping directly from agents' sensors to their actuators is intractable with existing machine-learning methods. Third, the book introduces a new multiagent reinforcement learning algorithm--team-partitioned, opaque-transition reinforcement learning (TPOT-RL)--designed for domains in which agents cannot necessarily observe the state-changes caused by other agents' actions. The final contribution is a fully functioning multiagent system that incorporates learning in a real-time, noisy domain with teammates and adversaries--a computer-simulated robotic soccer team.Peter Stone's work is the basis for the CMUnited Robotic Soccer Team, which has dominated recent RoboCup competitions. RoboCup not only helps roboticists to prove their theories in a realistic situation, but has drawn considerable public and professional attention to the field of intelligent robotics. The CMUnited team won the 1999 Stockholm simulator competition, outscoring its opponents by the rather impressive cumulative score of 110-0. ... Read more

Product Description
Aerial robots can be considered as an evolution of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). This book provides a quite complete overview of issues related to aerial robotics, addressing problems ranging from flight control to terrain perception and mission planning and execution. The major challenges and potentials of heterogeneous UAVs are comprehensively explored. It builds on the results of the European project COMETS, and highlights a number of key research topics in the area of UAV development, including communication, perception, teleoperation and decision making. The monograph emphasizes the current state of technology, the existing problems and potentialities of systems consisting of multiple UAVs which are heterogeneous in view of the different characteristics of the aerial vehicles, the different on-board payloads, and the different on-board information processing capabilities. The book also examines potential applications of UAVs and details a relevant application case: forest fire detection and monitoring. ... Read more

Product Description
A hands-on introduction to the field of robotics, this book will guide the hobbyist through the issues and challenges of building a working robot.Each chapter builds upon the previous one, extending a core robot project throughout the book.Examples of chapters include:Mechanical Platforms, Power Supplies, Adding Sense, Microcontrollers, Insect Robots, Pneumatics, More Behavior and Intelligence, Programming Projects, Robot Behaviors, and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Finally, an ATMEL based book!!
Good to know that there is a book out there that offers treatment of a more modern microcontroller (as opposed to PIC or 8051 controllers).

This book is full of great examples and psuedocode, from very basic circuits (get your feet wet!!) to the more complex fuzzy logic circuits.

I would have liked to have seen more time devoted to the fuzzy logic algorithms and explanations and less to blinking LEDs, but oh well.The author presents his own language "Fuzbol" which may or may not be useful to hobbyists...it has an interesting syntax that's vaguely C-like.

Overall, this is a well thought out book and far more useful than some of the other "classics" out there.A recommended purchase for hobbyists or students (more advanced might find this too simple).

Very good introduction to robotics
I used this book in conjunction with Gordon McComb's Robot Builder's Bonanza. The book provides step by step instructions for building a mobile robot and in doing so eliminates most of the apprehensions of a beginning robot builder. The book is somewhat specific and is not very detailed. The author however, is extermely helpful and responsive to questions and problems encountered. I e-mailed him numerous times and received immediate responses- the deciding factor in making this a five star book.

A Useful Supplementary Resource
Those familiar with Gordon McComb's 'Robot Builder's Bonanza' know that he interacts with and leverages off of developments in the hobby robotics community, soliciting ideas from readers and referring them to a plethora of resources outside of himself.Edwin Wise's 'Applied Robotics' is more of a one-man show.Whereas 'Bonanza' provides individual chapters devoted to describing three different MCUs, and allows the reader to use his / her own judgment in selecting one, Wise relies exclusively on the Atmel AT8515.Though very good, Atmel is not the most common choice among amateur roboticists, and this will limit the reader's ability to find kindred spirits in clubs or cyberspace when the inevitable questions arise.Nor is the AT8515 a beginner's MCU.All of the book's code samples are written in a single, proprietary programming language developed by the author himself, called Fuzbol.This language incorporates fuzzy logic capabilities as its primary feature, and for those interested in fuzzy logic, Wise provides a more complete introduction than I have seen elsewhere.However, "[m]ath in Fuzbol is very slow," Wise says on p. 165."[D]ivision is the worst, then multiplication.The slowest of all is real-valued math and it is best to avoid it unless necessary." In the preface, Wise refers to Applied Robotics as a beginner's guide, and as a book that may provide new ideas and techniques for the advanced builder.I would actually call this an intermediate-level hobbyist's guide.The advanced builder is familiar with almost all of the concepts addressed, while the bona fide beginner is likely to have difficulty with much of what lies beyond Chapter 6.Wise assumes his readers are familiar with computers and electronic circuits.If you do not know what 'edge-triggered' means, what a quad NOR gate is, or what a pullup is, you will need to do some remedial work with outside materials before you will understand this book. Wise's readers really should have ready access to a PC; Mac users are discouraged on p. 118.The program listings at the end of the book are designed to generate robotic behaviors such as 'aggression' (charging a light source), 'fear' (avoiding a light source), 'love', 'insecurity' and others.I really enjoyed Chapter 13, which treats pneumatics.Unlike other authors, Wise describes pneumatics in terms of circuits, providing interesting schematic conventions for air instead of electrons that I have not seen in other books.I also enjoyed Chapter 11, which deals mainly with sensors.Overall, I am pleased that I read the book.I would not personally rely upon it as a primary source, as I rely on 'Bonanza'.I am wary of its reliance on a single MCU, of its reliance on a proprietary language, and of the fact that readers who follow the book's guidelines ultimately produce only a system more or less identical to Wise's rather than one of their own design, but I value Applied Robotics as an addition to my library and as a reference source.

A great book for any hobbyist
This book is wonderful for the small time robot enthusiast. It starts from scratch, with the basics so anyone can follow along, and moves into more advanced and interesting robot behaviors. I built a small mobile robot andbought his kit, and now have a fully programmed robot that I can tinkerwith. It also includes a great programming language fuzBol that uses fuzzylogic, and some great ideas for future experiments.

Applied Robotics
A great book!Sure to warm the hearts of hardwarehackers everywhere. If you want to get into robotics and you would prefer to build a small robot of your own design rather than buying an off-the-shelf robot or kit then this book is for you. Well organized, engaging and clearly written thisbook will give you the information you need to engineer your own robot. Thebook includes a CD that contains a fuzzy logicprogramming language aswell as other software developement tools for the reccomended Atmel MCU.This seems like a real bargain in a meaty book that costs under 25 dollars.Edwin Wise also sells inexpensive kits containing electronic and mechanicalparts from his company website.If you love the smell of a hot solderingiron, buy this book! ... Read more

Product Description
Mobile robots range from the teleoperated Sojourner on the Mars Pathfinder mission to cleaning robots in the Paris Metro. Introduction to Autonomous Mobile Robots offers students and other interested readers an overview of the technology of mobility--the mechanisms that allow a mobile robot to move through a real world environment to perform its tasks--including locomotion, sensing, localization, and motion planning. It discusses all facets of mobile robotics, including hardware design, wheel design, kinematics analysis, sensors and perception, localization, mapping, and robot control architectures. The design of any successful robot involves the integration of many different disciplines, among them kinematics, signal analysis, information theory, artificial intelligence, and probability theory. Reflecting this, the book presents the techniques and technology that enable mobility in a series of interacting modules. Each chapter covers a different aspect of mobility, as the book moves from low-level to high-level details. The first two chapters explore low-level locomotory ability, examining robots' wheels and legs and the principles of kinematics. This is followed by an in-depth view of perception, including descriptions of many "off-the-shelf" sensors and an analysis of the interpretation of sensed data. The final two chapters consider the higher-level challenges of localization and cognition, discussing successful localization strategies, autonomous mapping, and navigation competence. Bringing together all aspects of mobile robotics into one volume, Introduction to Autonomous Mobile Robots can serve as a textbook for coursework or a working tool for beginners in the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Very Interesting projects but autonomous robots is still too slow to action as atheletes!
I got this book 1 or 2 months ago. But I might read it only one page because I have collected at least 380 textbook in my library! But this book has some interesting issue for me at least the name of the book which is the latest research direction for robot which can be acted as human but it may be too slow to perform useful task for real human. From my recognition this book has no mathematics exercises but it may be hidden in text somewhere in the book.

I hopethat sometime I might interest to read at least 1 or 2 page per day!

Useful Instructor's Reference
I'm using this as my primary reference for a university course I'm teaching at the advanced senior / beginning graduate level.It is helpful in that the material is organized well, and many of the important algorithms, equations, and methods are described in adequate detail. It is by no means a textbook in the regular sense. There are no problems or student exercises.(I am generating those as I go.)Some of the sections are very well written, others seem a bit poorly edited. There are a number of typos and composition errors that are annoying. It seems that, as with so many technical works these days, no one is really "minding the store" when it comes to final publication. Nevertheless, the overall result is a good, solid reference which can serve as a starting point for generating a set of class notes. The bibliography and web links are very helpful as well. I would suggest very carefully reviewing this book before adopting it as a required textbook for a class.

Good guide to computational robotics
This book is one of only a few of its kind. That is, it is a book that focuses on the computational issues in robotics rather than the all-too familiar hobbyist approach.
Chapter one is somewhat expendable, since it is simply a prosaic overview of the entire text. Chapter two talks about the theory of robot motion at a high level, with few helpful technical details. Chapter three, "Mobile Robot Kinematics", is where the book takes a dramatic upturn in quality. The computations of robot kinematics are discussed in detail for several kinds of robotic wheels. To really understand this chapter, the reader should already be familiar with dynamics and statics as well as the concepts of three dimensional rotation and matrices. For a companion to the kinematic material, I suggest Craig's "Introduction to Robotics: Mechanics and Control (3rd Edition)". It is much better than the reviewers say. Chapter four covers the various sensors used in robotics, as well as the mathematics needed in the integration of those sensors. The chapter concludes with some basic image processing and computer vision techniques. The material here is broad but somewhat shallow. I suggest that you already be familiar with basic image processing techniques and computer vision, or possibly have a copy of Gonzales & Woods "Digital Image Processing" handy, as well as a copy of Trucco & Verri's "Introductory Techniques for 3D Computer Vision". This is especially true if you wish to grasp some of the statistical techniques at the end of chapter four. Chapters five and six, on localization and navigation, respectively, are mathematically deep. The material on the Kalman Filter is somewhat oversimplified, and to truly grasp the subject of Kalman Filtering one will need to go to an outside source for a full tutorial. In my case, my instructor's notes were sufficient.
In summary, this is a very good book for someone who is mathematically mature enough to handle the computational aspects of mobile robotics. The reader should already understand dynamics, statics, numerical linear algebra, image processing, artificial intelligence, and computer vision. This book collects and connects all of these concepts well, but you will have to go digging elsewhere for the complete amount of detail required to perform all of the calculations for the methods described in this book. In short, computational robotics is a type of "capstone course" for engineers/computer scientists with the correct background and reference library, and for those engineers, this is the best guide published to date.

Great emphasis and overview
Having spent years working in this field, this book
in my opinion places the emphasis on one of the most
basic yet most important robotics problems of today:
mobility. It also addresses other broad issues related
to mobile robots. Despite the book's breadth, it is filled
with numerous great examples of functioning robots.
The robotics problems tackled by each chapter are
well explained and the exposition is deep enough for
the reader to truly understand the main issues and
the main solutions associated with each research challenge.
It is a book that in my opinion can be enjoyed by
both an expert and a complete novice in robotics.It's
fun to browse, yet if you want to delve into more detail on
any given topic you can. ... Read more