Robotics, Mechatronics, and Artificial Intelligence: Experimental Circuit Blocks for Designers [Paperback]

Newton C. Braga (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0750673893 | ISBN-13: 978-0750673891 | Publication Date: November 8, 2001 | Edition: 1

Accessible to all readers, including students of secondary school and amateur technology enthusiasts, Robotics, Mechatronics, and Artificial Intelligence simplifies the process of finding basic circuits to perform simple tasks, such as how to control a DC or step motor, and provides instruction on creating moving robotic parts, such as an "eye" or an "ear." Though many companies offer kits for project construction, most experimenters want to design and build their own robots and other creatures specific to their needs and goals. With this new book by Newton Braga, hobbyists and experimenters around the world will be able to decide what skills they want to feature in a project and then choose the right "building blocks" to create the ideal results.

In the past few years the technology of robotics, mechatronics, and artificial intelligence has exploded, leaving many people with the desire but not the means to build their own projects. The author's fascination with and expertise in the exciting field of robotics is demonstrated by the range of simple to complex project blocks he provides, which are designed to benefit both novice and experienced robotics enthusiasts. The common components and technology featured in the project blocks are especially beneficial to readers who need practical solutions that can be implemented easily by their own hands, without incorporating expensive, complicated technology.

Accessible to technicians and hobbyists with many levels of experience, and written to provide inexpensive and creative fun with robotics

Appeals to all sorts of technology enthusiasts, including those involved with electronics, computers, home automation, mechanics, and other areas.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Accessible to all enthusiasts at all levels, including students and amateur technology hobbyists, this book provides inexpensive and creative robotics projects. It covers a wide range of electronics disciplines, including interfacing with computers, home automation, mechanics, and more. The comprehensive project blocks make it possible for readers to pick and choose the circuit elements for individual robotic projects. From how to control a DC or stepper motor to instruction on creating moving robotic parts- this book covers it all.

...an exhaustive educational book covering Robotics, Mechatronics and Artificial Intelligence. With over 260 experimental circuit design blocks across 336 pages, the books starts from motion controls to review all the components that give robots their senses. Each component in play comes with a design illustration or some application guidance. -Electronic Product News, May 2002

...this book simplifies the process of finding basic circuits to perform simple tasks such as how to control a DC or step motor, and offers instruction on creating moving robotic parts such as an eye or an ear. -Poptronics, June 2002

From the Publisher

In the past few years the technology of robotics, mechatronics, and artificial intelligence has exploded, leaving many people with the desire but not the means to build their own projects. The author’s fascination with and expertise in the exciting field of robotics is demonstrated by the range of simple to complex project blocks he provides, which are designed to benefit both novice and experienced robotics enthusiasts. The common components and technology featured in the project blocks are especially beneficial to readers who need practical solutions that can be implemented easily by their own hands, without incorporating expensive, complicated technology.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Newnes; 1 edition (November 8, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750673893
• ISBN-13: 978-0750673891
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #673,754 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Computers & Technology > Computer Science > Artificial Intelligence > Computer Mathematics

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very useful ref of practical examples, but with errors, September 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Robotics, Mechatronics, and Artificial Intelligence: Experimental Circuit Blocks for Designers (Paperback)

This is a good ref. for, in particular hobbyists and students, where a collection of useful practical examples can be found. However, I spotted quite a number of errors (both typing errors and errors in circuit diagrams such as wrong pin no., incorrect connection point or polarity). For inexperience users, following exactly some of the circuits may result in producing smoke factory. I would like to recommend to recheck and correct some of these errors. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 stars partly because of these errors.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't believe the title, November 7, 2005

By 

B. Nizette (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Robotics, Mechatronics, and Artificial Intelligence: Experimental Circuit Blocks for Designers (Paperback)

Robotics, Mechatronics and Artificial Intelligence may be an odd title for this book, as, while most of the circuit blocks are certainly usable in robotics, there are very few where a robot would be the primary use. There are circuits for anything from Touch Lamps and Light Dimmers through to the more robotic circuits like the particularly good chapter on H-Bridges. There are blocks which cover a good number of uses in robotics and mechatronics, but I don't know exactly where he gets the AI bit of his title.

One thing the title got exactly right though was 'Experimental Ciruit Blocks'. There were a number of errors in type but, more importantly if you're using this book as a reference, the schematics. Things like in the "how to use transistors" chapter he more than once mixes his PNP and NPN transistors. Nearly all of the blocks are fine, just keep on your toes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Entry Level Text to Robotics, September 11, 2009

By 

Sean Curtin (Warners Bay, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Robotics, Mechatronics, and Artificial Intelligence: Experimental Circuit Blocks for Designers (Paperback)

For anyone who is new to robotics or interfacing motors in general, this book will be well received.

What I liked about it is the way it encourages the use of electrical principles to achieve common robotics goals over microcontroller based control. (If you want your robot to come on at night and stay off during the day for example, just use a switching circuit with an LDR or similar device. Why program something that's not necessary).

There is a section on micro processors but it's rather rudimentary and to be honest could probably be skipped over.

The true value of this book comes from the hardware circuits which are instantly accessible out of the box.

I found it a handy reference with great simple circuits that would certainly save a student or casual experimenter a lot of time and hence the title of the book.

This book would be useful on the bookshelf of most robotics enthusiasts and for the price is highly recommended(there were great circuits in this book that could take 4 chapters in some books to get to the point. This book illustrates them in a page, simple straight forward and ready to go which is what this book is about).

If your after the finer points on robotics and prefer a more in depth break down of electrical cicuits (right down to transistor biasing calculations and designing your own switching circuits for complex feedback hardware then this book might not be for you), however even for the advanced robotics enthusiast I'm sure this would be a handy collection of circuits for quick easy reference.

I recommend it and if later on the author was to add a few chapters on programming interfaces for embedded controllers, this book would certainly get a 5 star rating.

Enjoy,
Sean A. Curtin