Hands-on AI with Java : Smart Gaming, Robots, and More (Paperback)

by Edwin Wise (Author) "This chapter introduces the form and format of this book and the topic of Artificial Intelligence..." (more)
Key Phrases: Modus Ponens, Scripted Behavior, Thinking Logically (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Text shows how to put artificial intelligence techniques to work in a wide variety of useful and entertaining ways. For robot builders, hobbyists, game developers, automated-help-desk programmers, and manufacturing engineers; showing how to give a robot uncanny abilities, build programs that work intelligently with humans, add smarts to computer games, and more. Softcover.

From the Back Cover
Demystify AI and Make It Work -- or Play!

* Give your robot uncanny abilities
* Build programs that work intelligently with humans
* Add smarts to computer games
* Program optimal path-finding for machining and robotics

LEARN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WITH DO-IT-YOURSELF PROJECTS
Edwin Wise'' Hands-On AI with Java shows you how to put AI techniques to work in a wide variety of useful and entertaining ways.

Robot builders, hobbyists, game developers, automated-help-desk programmers, and even manufacturing engineers can take advantage of Wise's clear explanations and generous samples of customizable Java code. This book shows you how to:

* Give computer game characters role-playing and decision-making skills
* Simulate evolution to find solutions to hard problems
* Develop machine-to-human text interactions for help desks, adventure games, computerized tutorials, and Web agents
* Guide machine tools for intelligent behavior, such as tool-path optimization and efficient sheet utilization
* Teach your computer to play strategy games
* Solve control problems, including the classic inverted-pole problem

With its own helpful Web site (and an author who answers e-mails), Hands-On AI with Java is the perfect starting point in artificial intelligence.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics; 1 edition (January 16, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071424962
• ISBN-13: 978-0071424967
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,136,382 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Missing CD, May 25, 2004

By	Edwin Wise "Author and Rogue Technologist" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The CD for this book was not included... an error by the publisher who is hoping to fix it some time in the future.

All of the code can be found at http://www.simreal.com and yes, contrary to some reports, it does in fact all compile and work.

This book is introductory in scope and provides working examples for a number of AI techniques, written in Java.

The author (me) can be contacted at [e-mail].

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's all About Ideas and Getting Practical, May 26, 2004

By	Francisco Bido "DaGuy" (Lawrence, KS United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is not for the rigorous mathematician types. It does provide some core AI ideas and the associated Java illustrations. I have enough theorem-proof books that provide much theory but left me wanting some concrete examples and some Java starting points; Wise's book helped fill that gap.

The work is very ambitious in its scope and that could turn some readers off -just the usual compromise between scope and depth. However, if you're looking for a really easy to read and practical survey of the some key AI themes then this book is a good choice. The software does have it's problems (some standard Ant scripts would've been nice) but for me that's not such a critical issue, clearly motivated ideas matter more.

27 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Poor waste of time and money-, February 23, 2004

By	T. Fitzpatrick "Thornite" (Mid-State NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was not very informative, and wasn't much more
than an author's personal flag waving about the facts that
making packages are possible. The book comes without the cd,
no code dump's/listings, and much worse, doesn't really
compile most of the time. The content is confusing at best,
and I was quite frustrated that the author was audacious
enough to put the name Java on the cover. Not even good as
a reference-

Don't let the cover image fool you, the author should stick
to cover design, ...if that.

Take some advice, don't waste your money as i did.
Buy a better reference like:
Constructing Intelligent Agents Using Java: Pro. Developer's Guide, 2E;
ISBN: 047139601X

I have personally perused the Constructing... book in a local
bookstore and found it much more worth my time and on point.

This better help-