Robot Invasion: 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects [Paperback]

Dave Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0072226404 | ISBN-13: 978-0072226409

This volume shows children and parents how to convert around-the-house toys into robot projects. No soldering is required, and the book covers a range of products from remote-controlled cars to Lego Mindstorms - a Lego building kit for creating robots that react to their environment.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Fun and easy robot projects!

Discover how simple it is to build a working robot from scratch--using toys you have lying around the house plus a little imagination. This easy-to-follow resource contains detailed materials lists and step-by-step explanations that show you how to complete a variety of exciting, creative, and inexpensive projects. Packed with helpful illustrations to walk you through every step of the building process and hundreds of photos showing these projects in action, this book is entertaining for the entire family.

Do more with your existing Erector set, LEGO® MINDSTORMS^TM, home computer, and R/C car!

• Create a 4-wheeled robot with a collision arm that changes direction
• Create a set of robots that race through a track or obstacle course
• Build a combat arena and watch your robots bash each other with hammers
• Simulate a mini-Mars Pathfinder mission and blast a real model rocket hundreds of feet into the air
• Assemble your own remote-controlled videobot using an old R/C car and a digital camera
• Create an army of "virtual" combat robots with a free computer program
• Use a robotic arm to sort objects into multicolored piles

About the Author

Dave Johnson (Colorado Springs, CO) has a degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Rutgers University. He has written about technology for 15 years. Dave's magazine credits include such publications as Wired, Handheld Computing Magazine, PC World Magazine, and Family PC Magazine. Johnson also hosted a call-in talk radio show on technology for two years. He is the author of 18 books, including the best-selling titles How to Do Everything with Your Palm Handheld (written with Rick Broida) and How to Do Everything with Your Digital Camera. Johnson was a contributing author to Build Your Own Combat Robot, and he has written several children's stories including The Wild Cookie, which was recently published as an interactive storybook for Windows.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/OsborneMedia (September 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072226404
• ISBN-13: 978-0072226409
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,009,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a writer and photographer living near Seattle. In my spare time I play drums, scuba dive, and, along with the rest of my family, take car of my three cats, two dogs, and a slew of fish.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very fun book to own!! Would be great for kids., December 1, 2006

By 

Martin Berger - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Robot Invasion: 7 Cool and Easy Robot Projects (Paperback)

I don't have kids, but, if I did this would be the first book I bought to teach them about the fascinating world of robotics!

For me the most fun came with building Project 7 - The Robot Arm, I had hours of enjoyment experimenting with my LEGO Mindstorms set and using the graphical programming language to control the arm. After that I interfaced the Robot Arm to my Commodore 128 computer. (Yes, you read that right! LOL, I still use my trusty old C128!) contact me for a link to the webpage with pictures of my project.

I also enjoyed the introductory chapter "A World of Robots". The author gives a bit of history on robotics and he also discusses Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, which if you know anything at all about robotics you have undoubtedly heard of Asimov's classic laws.

Also Project 5 (Combat On The Computer Screen) is another great project to do. You can download software that allows you to build virtual combat robots on your computer screen and then turn them loose to rip each other apart. It's the cyber version of the TV show Battlebots. I guarantee you will have fun with this.

This book contains something for everyone; you will not be disappointed with your purchase!