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Title: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robots by Gareth Branwyn ISBN: 0-7897-2971-7 Publisher: Que Pub. Date: 29 September, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.27 (15 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent fun - pure joy and enthusiasm!
Comment: This is a tremendously fun and engaging book. It is immediately compelling and never loses its way as it ploughs through a plethora of topics, introducing all the basic skills and resources needed to genuinely construct one's own hobby robots.
The book begins with a fascinating history on the origins of robots leading through to robot kits available today (like Lego Mindstorms), as well as off-the-shelf robots (like Aibo).
The book culminates in three hands-on projects involving building a walking coat hanger, animating an old computer mouse, and then a walking CD rack with an embedded microcontroller for brains, programmable by Visual Basic. These projects are all slightly zany and even off-the-wall but demonstrate solid techniques and show just how robotics is limited only by one's imagination. Best of all, they use as few commercial parts as possible, preferring to recycle household junk.
This title is a delight to read; it is absorbing and highly entertaining. However, to my mind, its absolute greatest attribute is the sheer sense of fun and enthusiasm which radiates from the author. It's clear he has an enquiring mind and an almost childish fascination for robots. It's easy to imagine him longing for his very own R2D2! This pure sense of wonderment really comes out and is sure to infect even the most technophobic of readers. This is wonderfully remniscent of the "hacker" spirit possessed by all the greatest computer scientists and hobbyists who really strive to understand just how technology works, and how to develop it themselves.
The book concludes with a detailed, annotated, list of books, magazines and Web sites that can be referred to for more information. Finally, it contains a 10% off voucher for a US based robot parts Web-store but fortunately for international readers the parts used throughout can be sourced from most any electronics or hobby supplier.
Rating: 5
Summary: Enthusiastic Writer Makes Do-It-Yourself Robotics Fun
Comment: This surprisingly fun and resourceful book oozes with the enthusiasm of its writer. Gareth Branwyn likes to think he's part robot since he had a hip replacement, but he's actually a disciplined booster of robots as supporters of humanity, rather than liquidators. This is a great read on the background of modern robotics, what they can and can't do, and what is achievable with even a limited technological foundation. Anyone who works with a computer can easily grok the tools that go into robot anatomy, and they can appreciate the functions of robots - even at the level of cute, not-quite-cuddly creatures running along the floor, freaking out the cat, and avoiding bumping into furniture. Three specific projects form the center of the book, including a walking coat hanger, that get your feet wet in construction, and there is an ample set of references that enable those suitably encouraged to seek out more grandiose projects. Now that the holidays are upon us, wouldn't it be cooler to make a home-made robot than a fruitcake?
Rating: 5
Summary: This book does exactly what it promises!
Comment: I suppose I've always been fascinated with robots, but the idea of creating one myself never dawned on me. It always seemed so inaccessible, such a difficult field to get into. By chance, I stumbled upon this book. I am soooo grateful that I did - it's changed my life. Gareth Branwyn does an excellent job of leading the reader into this intimidating science, and lays a really good foundation for the three robots outlined in the book, and further exploration. You don't start building the first bot until you're halfway thru the thing, which is beautiful - it really helps you understand what's going on in the world of robotics today, what can and can't be done now, and what lies just beyond the horizon. This is not a definitive text, nor does it claim to be. It will get your feet wet, get a little experience under your belt, and point you in the right direction as you progress beyond the scope of the book. It is written as non-technically and straightforward as possible. With just a little adult guidance, I think even middle school children could grasp the concepts and execute the projects. Yet it is rich enough for curious adults, as well. In the space of a few months, I went from being completely ignorant of all things robotic to creating this -
http://www.knifewieldingrobots.com/thevault/staysonchair_lores.mov
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Title: Robot Building for Dummies by Roger Arrick, Nancy Stevenson ISBN: 0764540696 Publisher: For Dummies Pub. Date: 29 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $21.99 |
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Title: Robot Building for Beginners by David Cook ISBN: 1893115445 Publisher: Apress Pub. Date: 18 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Robot Builder's Bonanza by Gordon McComb ISBN: 0071362967 Publisher: Tab Books Pub. Date: 21 September, 2000 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: 123 Robotics Experiments for the Evil Genius (TAB Robotics) by Michael Predko, Myke Predko ISBN: 0071413588 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies Pub. Date: 23 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Robot Builder's Sourcebook : Over 2,500 Sources for Robot Parts by Gordon McComb ISBN: 0071406859 Publisher: Tab Books Pub. Date: 15 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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