Robotics Books

The Unofficial LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Inventor's Guide

David J. Perdue

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Computer Science -> Artificial Intelligence -> Robotics
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Computer Science -> Artificial Intelligence -> Theory of Computing

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Fantastic manual to the Mindstorms NXT 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I'm a coach of a FIRST LEGO League team and I bought this book to help my son "get to the next level." I am making this book mandatory for every team member next season! It is informative, yet easy to read. It covers all the bases from good robot design to programming explanations. I can't recommend it enough!

Fun, helpful, informative for beginner and intermediate 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I've had NXT for about 10 months and have three other books. I wish I had know about this first. My strong point is programming, my weak point is gearing and this is the only book that really shows how to build gear trains. I love rover bots and have designed many but he has several fresh takes on the genre. His ball caster is much more elegant than mine and his bumper is quite sturdy. (My method of picking a random angle for a turn is better than his though: random block set for 0 to 6 wired to a switch block with 7 conditions, the equivalent of 45,90,135 degrees left and right and 180. save the whole thing as a myblock to use with all your rovers.)
I highly recommend this book if you are starting out or if you want to get some new ideas for rovers.

Getting Started with Arduino (Make: Projects)

Massimo Banzi

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This valuable little book offers a thorough introduction to the open-source electronics prototyping platform that's taking the design and hobbyist world by storm. Getting Started with Arduino gives you lots of ideas for Arduino projects and helps you get going on them right away. From getting organized to putting the final touches on your prototype, all the information you need is right in the book.

Inside, you'll learn about:

• Interaction design and physical computing
• The Arduino hardware and software development environment
• Basics of electricity and electronics
• Prototyping on a solderless breadboard
• Drawing a schematic diagram

And more. With inexpensive hardware and open-source software components that you can download free, getting started with Arduino is a snap. To use the introductory examples in this book, all you need is a USB Arduino, USB A-B cable, and an LED.

Join the tens of thousands of hobbyists who have discovered this incredible (and educational) platform. Written by the co-founder of the Arduino project, with illustrations by Elisa Canducci, Getting Started with Arduino gets you in on the fun! This 128-page book is a greatly expanded follow-up to the author's original short PDF that's available on the Arduino website.

Learning OpenCV: Computer Vision with the OpenCV Library

Gary Bradski, Adrian Kaehler

Amazon Price: $43.99 List Price: $49.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: O'Reilly Media, Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $35.29

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Hardware -> Microprocessors & System Design -> DSPs

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Learning OpenCV puts you right in the middle of the rapidly expanding field of computer vision. Written by the creators of OpenCV, the widely used free open-source library, this book introduces you to computer vision and demonstrates how you can quickly build applications that enable computers to "see" and make decisions based on the data. Computer vision is everywhere -- in security systems, manufacturing inspection systems, medical image analysis, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and more. It helps robot cars drive by themselves, stitches Google maps and Google Earth together, checks the pixels on your laptop's LCD screen, and makes sure the stitches in your shirt are OK. OpenCV provides an easy-to-use computer vision infrastructure along with a comprehensive library containing more than 500 functions that can run vision code in real time. With Learning OpenCV, any developer or hobbyist can get up and running with the framework quickly, whether it's to build simple or sophisticated vision applications. The book includes: A thorough introduction to OpenCV Getting input from cameras Transforming images Shape matching Pattern recognition, including face detection Segmenting images Tracking and motion in 2 and 3 dimensions Machine learning algorithms

Hands-on exercises at the end of each chapter help you absorb the concepts, and an appendix explains how to set up an OpenCV project in Visual Studio. OpenCV is written in performance optimized C/C++ code, runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X, and is free for commercial and research use under a BSD license. Getting machines to see is a challenging but entertaining goal. If you're intrigued by the possibilities, Learning OpenCV gets you started onbuilding computer vision applications of your own.

How to Build a Robot Army: Tips on Defending Planet Earth Against Alien Invaders, Ninjas, and Zombies

Daniel H. Wilson

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Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Satire
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Defend yourself—and your planet—against the onslaught of evil at your door.

It goes without saying that robots kill. They hunt, swarm, and fire lasers from their eyes. They even beat humans at chess. So who better to stand with us when the real villains arrive? Movies instruct us that, whether we like it or not, we will one day be under siege by pirates, ninjas, zombies, aliens, and Godzilla. Also great white sharks. And—let’s face it—we’re not prepared. But with the advice contained in this brilliantly illustrated, ingenious book, you can build your own robot army to fend off hordes of bloodthirsty foes. From common-sense injunctions (“never approach an unfamiliar robot in a militarized zone”) to tactical pointers (“low-power radar beats cameras for detecting mummies in a fog-shrouded crypt”) to engineering advice (“passive-dynamic exoskeleton suits will increase sprint speeds but not leg strength”), this book contains all the wisdom you’ll need to fend off the coming apocalypse. Witty, informative, and utterly original, How to Build a Robot Army is the ideal book for readers of any age.

Robot Building for Beginners

David Cook

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 45 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Loads of pictures and very frank discussion make this book a pleasure to read, and a real learning tool.

— Craig Maloney, Slashdot Contributor

The author gives lots of practical advice, some of which would be useful even to experienced tinkerers. It is very thorough.

— Edward Chin, The Canadian Linux Users' Exchange

Learning robotics by yourself isnt easy, but it helps when the encouragement comes from an expert whos spent years in the field. Not only does Author David Cook assist you in understanding the component parts of robot development, but he also presents valuable techniques that prepare you to achieve new discoveries on your own.

Cook begins with the anatomy of a homemade robot and gives you the best advice on how to proceed successfully. General sources for tools and parts are provided in a consolidated list, and specific parts are recommended throughout the book. Also, basic safety precautions and essential measuring and numbering systems are promoted throughout.

Specific tools and parts covered include digital multimeters, motors, wheels, resistors, LEDs, photoresistors, transistors, chips, gears, nut drivers, batteries, and more. Robot Building for Beginners is an inspiring book that provides an essential base of practical knowledge for anyone getting started in amateur robotics.

Creating Cool MINDSTORMS NXT Robots (Technology in Action)

Daniele Benedettelli

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Build and program MINDSTORM NXT robots with Daniele Benedettelli, one of the world’s most respected NXT robot builders. He shows you how to build and program them from scratch, starting with the simplest robots and progressing in difficulty to a total of seven award–winning robots! You can download all the code, along with low–resolution videos that show how your robot works when it’s finished. You don’t need to be a programmer to develop these cool robots because all the code is provided, but advanced developers will enjoy seeing the secrets of Benedettelli’s code and techniques revealed.

What you’ll learn

• How to create award–winning robots from scratch to final programming.
• How to build each robot and which materials to use.
• Why certain features have specific designs.
• How to program your robot–all code is available for free download.
• Inspiration and tips and tricks on robotics, a particularly valuable resource for teachers and students.

Who is this book for?

Anyone interested in building robots or seeing how it is done. Programmers interested in learning how robots are programmed.

Robot Programming : A Practical Guide to Behavior-Based Robotics

Joe Jones, Daniel Roth

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $14.98

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

where has the website gone? 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is a nice little book. It introduces some important concepts in an overall very readable text. Of course the book doesn't offer much technical detail or any real code but sometimes it comes close. If you already have any experience in programming you can easily get the point in the example pseudo codes and adapt them for your own use.
There is a major problem about this book though. The online robot simulation program was available from the link given inside the book but this website is not active anymore so you can not practice the ideas using the "bsim" program.

Easy read and a good introduction 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The book is easy to read and a good introducion to behavior based programming. I always like it when the author uses some humor to turn a book that could have been a boring "must read" into an entertaining experience.

Editorial Review:

* Teaches the concepts of behavior-based programming through text, programming examples, and a unique online simulator robot

* Explains how to design new behaviors by manipulating old ones and adjusting programming

* Does not assume reader familiarity with robotics or programming languages

* Includes a section on designing your own behavior-based system from scratch

Extreme NXT: Extending the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT to the Next Level (Technology in Action)

Michael Gasperi, Philippe E. Hurbain, Isabelle L. Hurbain

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Excellent! 5 out of 5 stars.
21 of 21 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book to get a better idea of how to safely interface my own circuits to the Lego Mindstorms NXT. In my opinion, you can't find a better book for this purpose. "Extreme NXT" contains the pinouts and proper usage of the NXT motor and sensor ports. It also provides a large number of the most useful homebrew sensor implementations, right down to parts lists containing part numbers for common component suppliers like Digikey and Radio Shack.

My background is in engineering, with an emphasis in control systems. The first book I read in the field of hobbiest robotics was "Mobile Robots: Inspiration to Implementation" (Jones and Flynn). In those days, the 6811's were king for these sorts of projects. I spent many a happy day with my MIT Handyboard (a simple 6811 robot controller board). Things have come a long way. Nowadays NXT is available, and this book is the modern day equivalent to that excellent text for those who want to dig in and find out what the NXT is capable of. The book is written in a format that is easy to understand for the novice, but also supplies plenty of content to allow the more advanced user to be able to push the NXT envelope. The organization is superb, commonly used charts and tables are easily found. I have been finding myself referring most often to the pinout tables for the NXT connectors, and these are very conveniently found towards the front of the book.

Chapters are broke down into sensor and output types, starting with the more basic and easily contructed passive sensors up to more advanced and expandable I2C sensors. Motor control, h-bridges, etc are also covered in detail. Both the construction of the circuits, and the NXT code to run them, are covered. Code is provided in it's most basic form first, NXT-G, which every NXT user will be familiar with. Examples proceed to more complex compilers, such as NBC, for sensors or circuits that are better suited to those implementations.

The appendix provides complete source code listings, useful websites and links categorized by chapter. There is also a great tutorial on prototyping with breadboards and perfboard for the uninitiated. With this book, any skill level in electronics should be enough to do some cool things with the NXT kit.

This book will become a very useful addition to any hobby robotics library. For me, it will be the goto book for designing circuits to safely interface to the Lego NXT. Highly recommended!

Editorial Review:

Extreme NXT: Extending the LEGO Mindstorms NXT to the Next Level is for intermediate-level users of NXT who would like to advance their capabilities by learning some of the basics of electronics. Plenty of examples are provided, and easy-to-follow instructions are included for building over 15 different sensors.

This makes a great reference for the NXT hardware interfaces. Examples even come complete with multiple, alternative NXT languages. The book is also abundant with illustrations.

Intermediate Robot Building

David Cook

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This book provides far more detail on the hardware aspects of robot building than any other I have seen to date and is worth picking up.

— Steven Rainwater, Reviewer, Robots. This book is highly recommended as the explanations are clear, and the explanations are useful.

— Colin McGregor, The Canadian Linux Users' Exchange

LEGO Mindstorms NXT Power Programming: Robotics in C

John C. Hansen

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> C -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> C -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

NXT Power Programming delivers everything you need to create the robot you've always dreamed about. This is the definitive guide to C programming by the developer of some of the most powerful and popular development tools for LEGO MINDSTORMS. John C. Hansen presents a comprehensive yet friendly set of tools that allow you to create almost any robot you can imagine.

Inside, you'll find an ingenious set of projects that explore the complete arsenal of NXT functionality. At the heart of these projects is Versa, a versatile mobile robot platform utilizing modular attachments.

Master the Art of:

• NXC, a C language for the NXT

• BricxCC, a full featured programming environment

• Sensors and Motors

• Utilities for Music, Sound Sampling, Graphics and more

• NBC, an Assembler Language for the NXT

• Building Robots without Bricks

• Handheld Arcade Games on the NXT

• An Intruder System using a Sphere Cannon

• NXT to NXT Bluetooth communications

• NXT to Bluetooth devices

• The latest sensors from HiTechnic and mindsensors.com