Robots, Androids and Animatrons, 2/e

“Bound to stir the imagination and inspire plans.”--Poptronics, on John Iovine’s PIC Microcontroller Project Book

MORE SENSORS—MORE SMARTS—MORE MOVES—MORE POWER—MORE CONTROL—MORE PROJECTS—LOWER COSTS—AMATEUR ROBOTICS COMES INTO ITS OWN!

Robots, Androids, and Animatrons Second Edition

The time has come for you to bring a robot to life! With the plummeting costs of microcontrollers, quantum improvements and price reductions in other technologies, and the availability of a slew of exciting components in the electronics marketplace, there’s never been a better time to explore the world of the nearly human. With the complete directions supplied by popular electronics author John Iovine in this revised Robots, Androids, and Animatrons, you can:

• Build your first walking, talking, sensing, thinking robot
• Create 12 working robotic projects, using the fully illustrated instructions provided
• Get the best available introduction to robotics, motion control, sensors, and neural intelligence
• Put together basic modules to build sophisticated ‘bots of your own design
• Construct a robotic arm that responds to your spoken commands
• Build a realistic, functional robotic hand
• Apply sensors to detect bumps, walls, inclines , and roads
• Give your robot expertise and neural intelligence
• Do all of this without programming or assembly language skills

PERFECT FOR FIRST-TIME ROBOT BUILDERS—AND FOR MORE ADVANCED HOBBYISTS WHO WANT TO ADD TO THEIR SKILLS
If you have basic electronics abilities, Robots, Androids, and Animatrons gives you everything you need to create 12 exciting robotic projects using off-the-shelf products and workshop-built devices—including a complete parts list. Also ideal for anyone interested in electronic and motion control, this book—already a cult classic—gives you the building blocks you need to go practically anywhere in robotics. You’ll find hours of amusement here —and perhaps the germ of your new best friend!

Contents           

   Introduction   Acknowledgements   1: In the beginning   2: Artificial life and artificial intelligence   3: Power   4: Movement and drive systems   5: Sensors   6: Intelligence   7: Speech-controlled mobile robot   8: Behavioral-based robotics, neural networks, nervous nets, and subsumption architecture   9: Telepresence robot   10: Mobile platforms   11: Walker robots   12: Solar-ball robot   13: Underwater bots   14: Aerobots   15: Robotic arm and IBM PC interface and speech control   16: Android hand   Suppliers   Index