On 2010-03-01 J. Thurmond, wrote: I looked around quite a bit trying to find a robot building book that would take my 14 yr old through the process in a way he could understand. David Cook delivered perfectly. Every other book I looked at seemed either too childish, or alternately, assumed a solid background in electronics. Robot Building for Beginners, like Baby Bear´s porridge, is just right!
I studied philosophy in college, so can offer my son no help in building robots. I´ve seen this book described as a swimming pool that´s 5´x5´ but 25´ deep. That´s pretty apt. I like the extensive chapter on components - what they are, how they work - neither my son nor I knew a resistor from a diode before. Also an entire chapter on safety was great from the concerned parent perspective.
The book is long, but covers a lot of ground with very little fluff. In 10 days my son had read up to the chapter where you start building your robot - he had absorbed a ton of information, built a few basic circuits and tested/troubleshot them with a multimeter. Now he´s just waiting impatiently for me to set him up with the necessary components to start building (actually he´s started scavenging components from dead/unused electronics he comes across; and I´m starting to fear for my DVD player).
I don´t think you´ll find a better starting point for a novice.. And summed up by saying Just what I´ve been looking for!. Currently Robot Building for Beginners has an overall rating of 8 over 10.
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Apress claimed Loads of pictures and very frank discussion make this book a pleasure to read, and a real learning tool. 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 isn´t easy, but it helps when the encouragement comes from an expert who´s 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.
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