PDA Robotics [Paperback]

Doug Williams (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071417419 | ISBN-13: 978-0071417419 | Publication Date: July 4, 2003 | Edition: 1

PDAs and robotics come together in this innovative resource! Here is the ONLY BOOK to provide in-depth designs and concepts on how to create a robot that utilizes your PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) as the remote control--or ""brains.""

* Allows any PDA to communicate with and control the robot
* No connectors necessary--works on a wireless link between the PDA and the robot
* Requires only inexpensive, off-the-shelf components
* Modules can be easily customized for individual use
* Covers specialized software, control circuits, and interfaces ideal for creating artificial life forms

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

BUILD A ROBOT AND MAKE IT RUN — RIGHT FROM YOUR PDA!

The virtual chasm between PDAs and robots has been spanned, with McGraw-Hill’s PDA Robotics: Using Your Personal Digital Assistant to Control Your Robot, an easy-to-read guide to integrating these two pieces of technology into a single, remote-controlled powerhouse.

Written in easy-to-understand language by a renowned software designer and robotics expert, this unique resource reveals innovative concepts and designs, helping you to build your own PDA-controlled robot from the ground up. As a result, you’ll be able to:

* Allow any PDA to communicate with and control your robot
* Establish a wireless RF link between your PDA and robot
* Acquire low-cost, standard, and easily obtainable components
* Learn about special software, control circuits, and interface ideas for creating artificial life forms
* Customize modules easily
* And more!

Perfect for hobbyists, students of electronics, and engineers alike, this book is your entrée into the brave new world of PDA-controlled robots!

Inside:
* The Anatomy of a PDA
* Software IDEs and Electronic Design
* Movement Systems
* Wireless RF
* Room Radar and Sonar Devices
* And Much More!

About the Author

Doug Williams is a software designer fir Agfa Healthcare. A resident of Ontario, Canada, he has worked in the computer industry for nearly 10 years, specializing in radar systems control, medical imaging software, and electronic interface technologies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics; 1 edition (July 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071417419
• ISBN-13: 978-0071417419
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,970,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic !, October 13, 2003

By 

Steve Forbes (Durham, NH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PDA Robotics (Paperback)

I would like to thank the author for helping me to create an Infrared bridge between an electonic project that I have been working on and my PDA ! I searched the net and the library for this information to no avail.

I found all the information useful and will apply some of the design concepts and software in my next project.

I must counter the last review by janek243. The book contains no more than perhaps 5% microchip specs ! The specs that are included help explain the components used and tie the project together. The subject was more than just 'touched on', the author has created a great working piece of technology.

Looking forward to more of Doug Williams' work.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good intro, but many typos and unreferenced technical specs, January 25, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: PDA Robotics (Paperback)

Like janek243, I was disappointed that so much of the book
was copied (seemingly verbatim) from technical specs on-line,
though the sources didn't seem to be referenced. It's fairly
obvious where these sections start and end, because they lack
the typos and grammatical problems of much of the rest of
the book.

Despite its flaws, I recommend it to anyone who, like me,
is interested in interfacing their iPaq (or Palm) with hardware.
The book has given me several pointers to other material and
manufacturer websites. I'm glad I bought it; I just wish it
had a higher signal-to-noise ratio.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Recipe for a Robot, October 7, 2005

By 

The Technology Tourist (Australia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: PDA Robotics (Paperback)

Following discussions with the author, I have amended this review.

As a University Lecturer, I was disappointed with this book
because it contains large sections of material copied from
datasheets and web sites without proper references. We try to
teach our students to be ethical, and not to simply cut and
paste from the Internet without references. The author assures
me that permission was obtained from Microsoft, Intel,
Microchip, Sharp, etc. to re-publish their material.

It is not a text for a beginner if you want to learn about
robotics or how to design your own circuits and program
embedded systems. For instance, it assumes that you can already
program in C.

However, it does contain detailed instructions for building a
robot that can be controlled using the Infra Red port on a PDA.
If you don't mind making your own circuit board, then this
might be the book for you, but you really need some basic
background in electronics and computers if you intend to build
this robot. If you treat it as a recipe, and try to learn from
the exercise, then you might find it useful.