Slashdot Mirror
Robot Building for Beginners
Beginner means beginner I didn't actually build the robot presented in the book, but after reading it, I feel confident that I wouldn't have any problems building it.
Robot Building for Beginners is not a misnomer. If you have an area set aside in your home that you call your electronics lab, and know how to use breadboards, multimeters, and soldering irons, you may not get as much out of this book. If, however, you have to clear off your project area in order to eat and don't know the first thing about where to begin to build a robot, then this book will be a roadmap on your journey to proficiency. Loads of pictures and very frank discussion make this book a pleasure to read, and a real learning tool.
The book begins with a brief introduction to the robot hobby and some interesting robot pieces and projects. Next is an informative chapter on where to purchase the parts for the robot, with an emphasis on getting parts cheaply. The author also gives some hints on how to order parts cheaply through quantity discounts as well as part substitution. The book then takes a brief detour onto the subject of safety, with such sage advice as using items safe for the reader (lead-free solder, safety goggles, and dust masks) and items safe for the electronics (circuit breakers, grounded plugs, and following instructions). The author also briefly cautions against making dangerous robots (like the ones on BattleBots) because they can not only be very dangerous, but can also be hazardous to test (sorry, guys. :) ).
From there the author dedicates two chapters to selecting and using one of the more important pieces of equipment for electronics projects: the multimeter. The author presents some sage advice for selecting an appropriate, accurate mutimeter within your budget. I used this knowledge to pick out a very nice, affordable multimeter of my own (a Triplett 9025, for anyone who is interested).
Next, a brief discussion on numbers and units, followed by a chapter on robot line-following rounds out the basics section of the book. The sandwich robot (so named because the author uses a sandwich container for the body) is introduced in the chapter on line-following, and forms the basis for the project that is built through the rest of the book.
Parts is partsThe next few chapters form an excellent introduction to the electronic components that make up the sandwich robot. From an informative discussion on batteries (the results may surprise you. It certainly changed how I look at batteries) to components like breadboard, transistors, variable resistors, and IC chips. Each chapter introduces a particular component, describes what it does, and give some very useful tips for using the component effectively. The components are introduced by demonstrating how they fit together in simple circuits. I found myself learning a great deal about each of the components and how they fit together. Next the book tackles the more mechanical aspects of the robot (motors, tires and couplers) and how to select, work, and assemble them into the final project. Two chapters follow, dealing with everyone's favorite topic: soldering. The first chapter handles the equipment needed for soldering, while the next chapter handles how to solder properly. Even the most nervous soldering neophyte will feel right at home with a soldering iron after these chapters.
Putting it all together Time to put the knowledge together! The next chapter tackles the motherboard of the robot. A schematic and lots of pictures with layouts and hints help make what could be a difficult process into something less frightening. Cleaning and testing the motherboard rounds out the last part of the chapter. Then it's on to the body construction and the launching of the robot! The last chapter talks about other goodies such as LCD screens, real microprocessors, and other components worth checking out. There's also a quick mention of robotics clubs and projects the author would like to take on. The author is a robotics enthusiast, and it shows with his candid writing. What's in it for me?Robot Building for Beginners is a great resource for those who may not have a background with electronics. I found myself learning all sorts of useful information from this book. Those who may not be interested in building a robot will still find this book useful for a good primer in electronics and electronic circuits. They may also be convinced by the author's sheer love for robot tinkering to explore the world of robotics. People with an electronics background may not be interested in this book as much as a rank beginner, but don't let that dissuade you from checking out this excellent book. I can easily recommend this book to anyone with a passing interest in electronic circuits and robotics. The robots you build from this book may not be able to serve drinks, or repair a damaged X-Wing fighter, but you'll definitely have fun building them.
You can purchase Robot Building for Beginners from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTROL YOUR ROBOTS
I can't use my real log in name for fear of losing my job at a US military research facility. The government wants to control all robots through a centralized clearing house which will mandate the installation of a governemnt controlled "kill chip" that could be activated from satellite.
FACT: In 1977, soon after the release of Star Wars, some in The Illuminati became concerned about the growing love of robots in the movies. They realized that it was only a matter of decades before real, autonomous robots were created. They formed the Forum for Autonomous Robotic Termination (F.A.R.T.), a highly secretive group reaching the highest levels of all industrialized government.
FACT: In 1981 a research robot resembling a human escaped from its lab at MIT and made it all the way to Washington. Its assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan was foiled and it was given the persona of "John Hinkley Jr.", the world's first person made up from the ground up by government to conceal the existence of military created battle-droids.
FACT: In 2001, The Illuminati, by way of F.A.R.T., had created the Controlled Unit Neutralization Transistor. This microscopic unit could be triggered by satellite to disable any circuit it was placed within. The purpose was to allow The Illuminati control over all robots worldwide. A rebellious group has robots fighting alongside it? Activate the transistor. A robot speaks out against oil consumption? Activate the transitor. In the research labs the robots' knowledge banks are being made aware of the chip so they fear for termination the way humans fear death.
FACT: FIRST POST!
My favorite chapter was Chapter 9: "Adding the Strength of 5 Gorillas"
In the late 90's I had a friend who had a HERO jr collecting dust in his parent's basement. So I forced him to drag it out so I could play with it. It wasn't nearly as cool as I thought it would be.
The moral? To this day I hate cats. Parents, don't buy your kids a pet when they really want a computer/robot/remote control gadget. Get 'em hooked on science!
I think I'll invent a 4th law of robotics:
4 - A robot constructed using instructions found on Slashdot shall be equipped with a huge red emergency power shutoff button on its back.
Good review! One question: what method does the author recommend for getting the motherboard PCB made? I would imagine hand-drawn layouts and home etch kits would scare off some potential robot newbies, so I hope he makes some mention of the semi-pro hobbyist alternatives: software like gEDA and Eagle, and board houses like Advanced Circuits for cheap, small quantity fab runs.
Get insured before meddling with the metal ones!
There's a Mercedes gap too. I want one and can't afford one, but it's not government's job to do anything about it.
Robot Builder's Bonanza
Practical Electronics for Inventors
"It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance." - Thomas Sowell
Maybe this subject is the exception, but I know I've been "fooled' more than once into thinking a book was giving me full instructions only to find out, once I tried to actually follow them, that there were critical items that had been left out - "oh yeah, on some TiVOs the bracket is designed to only hold one drive and you will need to get a special bracket as well as a Y power cord adapter" as just one example.
I'm wondering if there's anyone out there who has actually tried to build the project who could comment?
NASA Internet Robotics Resources Index "Last updated: October 28,1998", so some of the stuff might be dead but it should lead to someplace more recent.
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Since the submission is a little short on pictures, google was nice enough to point me at the writer's description, which is complete with pictures. I was curious how in-depth the book actually goes...
Basically, he explains how to work with base electronic equipment, basic parts (resistors, capacitors, potentiometers), and how to tie them together with infrared reflectors into an feedback system to direct steering (something my college offers a course to introduce control systems). It appears that it ends with a little writeup on some robotics clubs.
All in all, its basic mechanical/electrical engineering work, basically a bottom-up design for creating an autonomous object. Good project for starters, written in a way that most of us can whip up at home (its made out of legos after all). For those that are interested in more, look up "behavior-based robots" in your favorite search engine.
As soon as I read the headline and teaser text I said to myself "There's got to be a white line follower in there somewhere" and I guess I wasn't disappointed - sandwich box and all!
Boy, I was building these in school (around (1977) with nothing much more than LDRs (light dependent resistors - remember the ORP12!?) and some simple Op-amp comparator circuits - robots like the bot1 on this page- no doubt thesedays there's a ton of digital logic in there and IR transmitter/receivers to achieve the same results!??
AT&ROFLMAO
I just call the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation and order one.
Last one I got was really damn depressed, though.
The coolest voice ever.
Or take apart the RoboSapien you got for the holidays. It's remote controlled. Really fun to play with. It has simple sensors on the hands and feet. It has working hands (can pick up and sort of throw) and makes funny sounds, including some relating to human bodily functions.
Just don't tell the person who gave you the gift. They may be a little annoyed you just took it apart.
Developers: We can use your help.
The idea of BEAM robots (BEAM is an acroonym for Biology Electronics Aesthetics Mechanics) is that they use analog circuts and many of them are very simple and cheap to build but do kind of interesting things and have solar cells and look really cool. There are also more complicated ones... and ones that you can buy in kits and such. Anyway, the nice thing about the above sites (particularly BEAM-online) is that they explain lots of basic robotics stuff and include links to other places with more info - and you don't need to buy a book.