Customer Reviews

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robots

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Many people have an interest in robotics, but have a difficult time getting started. Even the simplest of robotics projects requires a wide range of basic skills, from how to solder connections to programming microprocessors. This book lives up to the title, in that it starts at the very beginning and steps you through how to build three simple robots.
In the first section, called robots.edu, a history of robots, some of the major players and some of the simple capabilities are described. The second section begins with a list of the tools and skills needed to build robots. As basic as you can go, this gives explicit details about how to start. Three simple robot projects are described in complete detail in the third section. All start with a list and photo of the parts needed to build the robot and a step-by-step building procedure to follow. The parts are easy to obtain and cheap, but if you are not the type to shop around, there is a link to a company called Solarbotics, where you can purchase a complete kit.
True to the meaning of the phrase, "absolute beginner", this book is a great place to start if you have the desire to build robots, but lack the skills and knowledge.

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.

I have been fascinated with robots ever since I was a little kid. When I was young, I would go to the library and check out books about robots. Most of these books talked about movie robots and then told about the many different kinds of robots that could be purchased commerically at the time. I loved to read through those books and imagine what it would be like to have my own robot. Years later, I have gotten the robotics bug again and I have been interested in building my own simple robot. I bought this book and I loved the history section. It told about the history of actual robotics and how various roboticists have influenced each other's work. It also talks about different approaches to tackling different problems. After covering the theory and history of robotics, the book tells you exactly what tools you need and what you need to get started with building 3 simple robots. He even has sections on the electronic components and how to solder. This book is really written for beginners! Each project helps you build a different kind of robot that with increasing complexity. The instructions seem very clear and the illustrations are very good too. The best thing about this book is the fact that there is a very active web forum where people can discuss their progress on the projects and the author has been very eager to help people that have questions.

Some other comments here have complained that the book's projects are not original or that there are missing parts. The author never claimed the projects to be original. He gives credit to the original designers and has made variations that make the projects more foolproof for beginners. He has built them all multiple times and provides original instructions that are very clear and easy to follow. He also has the active website (very unusual for a robot book in my experience) where you can ask questions and he can clarify anything that you have trouble with.

I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to learn about the history of robotics to date or that wants to get started building their own robot.

This is a very good beginner book on a very complex subject. By the end you will have built a few robots, and that is where all the love/hate is. The author also has a webpage where he offers advice and help with problems you may have. Personally, I am very happy with this purchase, and staying up late working on my robots...advice: Radio Shack will not have all the parts you need (he includes where to obtain parts).

Literally anyone can grab a copy of this book, start reading and not only begin construction of sophisticated little robots in no time, but also be on their way to a solid understanding of electonics- all with no prior knowledge or experience! And if you thought that was enough, Gareth Branwyn has managed to achieve all of this with a gentle, familiar and genuinely humerous style that has you honestly convinced that you are having too much fun to possibly be learning. So, if you have ever thought it would be cool to construct your very own little droid army, but always thought that it was reserved for scientists and other white-coat wearing brainiacs, then buy this book, because that's what I used to think and I was wrong!
The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robots is a book which will have even very the least geeky-natured of us hungry for more.

When the title of the book says Absolute Beginners's guide it means it. The book does a good job of explaining the history of robotics, and describing the various types. But there is a definate lack of explaination when it comes to the robots them selves. Its simply "asseble part A with part B, then move on to C." With no reasoning behind why you're doing it. In short the book does a poor job of teaching you robotics but instead is an exercise in how to follow directions.

This is a great book for those just starting the journey into robotics. Branwyn's conversational style and personal stories make this a great read as well as a fantastic learning tool. His insight into the world of robotics and trips down memory lane make what could be a dry how to guide into a very interesting read. The projects, as they increase in difficulty, teach the basics that will undoubtedly be the fundamentals for the budding roboticist. I recommend this book to all.

I have read this book, and thought it was definitely well done. It explained the tools, supplies, and the knowledge you will need to be a competent robot builder. At the end of a book is a detailed list of books, magazines and web sites for where you can go from this book. The book was great, although the only thing I didn't like was that the three projects were hard to follow. I didn't quite understand all of the actions I needed to take, and these chapters lost me pretty quicky.

Still, the book is great to get you going, and has an excellent amount of resources at the end, and I like the author a lot and hope to read another of his books later.

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.

Buy this book now!

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?