Customer Reviews

STIQUITO: Advanced Experiments with a Simple and Inexpensive Robot, Robot Kit Included

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is well written and includes a parts pack with all the hardware to make a working "Stiquito", a simple 6-legged walking robot. And it's not just for robotics folks -- Stiquito is also excellent for students or hobbyists interested in electronics, or even just model building.

The first 65 pages focus on the "how's" of the project - how electricity works, how engineers tackle the design process, and how the robotic "muscle" technology works.

The next 60 pages handle construction of the robot itself. While the construction isn't complex enough to require this much text, the authors have done an excellent job of ensuring that each step is covered in great detail with photos.

The last 40 pages are dedicated to experimentation with Stiquito. One project is a PC-based controller for the Stiquito, complete with diagrams, instructions, and a program for a parallel port interface to your PC. Another project adds the logic so the Stiquito can walk on its own. (Hardware is not included for these add-on projects.)

The heart of the project is a recent dicovery called nitinol - it's a special alloy wire that contracts when heated. This special property allows very simple robots to be built - thus the Stiquito.

I hope Amazon will post the cover photo soon, because a picture speaks a thousand words - meanwhile, check out the cover of the advanced Stiquito book. Imagine an ant-looking creature with a 4" plastic body and 6 wire legs - that's how simple it is. There's not much more to it except the thin nitinol wires that actuate the legs and the power leads that feed them.

One of the appealing things about Stiquito is how much creativity can be added to the project. Before the base project is even complete, you'll be thinking of ways to enhance it. The advanced companion to this book seems more geared toward these interests.

Separate kits are available for making extra Stiquitos (e.g., for educational courses), as well as for some of the enhancements (e.g., the PC controller interface and the autonomous walking). Parts lists and supplier lists are also included for sourcing materials separately.

As an avid robotics hobbyist, I found the book to be extremely informative and thoughtfully written. The introductory sections on electronics, will provide the basics that anyone would need to understand the principles presented. I think it is pure genius to devise a kit that can be physically incorporated into the book - it is a real bargain. The details regarding the assembly of the Stiquito were very clear and explanatory. I highly recommend this book as an introduction for anyone that is interested in robotics.

What other robotics book comes with its own robot? That is what makes this book so cool. It takes some skill to assemble, but it walks once you're done. The book gives you the building instructions for the robot and features articles written by those inspired by Stiquito to create more sophisticated units based on its design. The chapters on the SCORPIO robot illustrate how much a group of students can be inspired to achieve! Definitely a must-have book for those interested in robotics.

It's revolutionary that this book contains a robot kit along with instructions on how to build it, all for less than $50. But once you get past that, you're introduced to the cruel reality that engineers and education don't get along well. Most great engineers have advanced so far along their particular path that they've "forgotten" the basics. (All one needs to do is look at the "...for Dummies" phenomenon to realize that this is true of experts in many, if not most fields.)

And so we have here a book which actually breaks down the various kinds of engineers and what they do, as though speaking to a junior high school audience with no real understanding of what an engineer is, which within ten pages of the remedial discussion goes on to throw around engineering terms without the slightest attempt to define them or explain what they are.

Do you know what an "actuator" is? You won't find the term defined here, but it'll be used constantly. How about a "power bus"? At one point the authors mention half-a-dozen advanced robotic terms in a row with the only reference being a half-a-dozen of their other books. Swell.

This creates an odd mixture of fluff and highly technical material. Early on, a suggested exercise involves considering Isaac Asimov's famous Three Laws of Robotics. (A robot cannot harm a human, etc.) Fun stuff, but about as pertinent to the subject as "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" is to a text on marine biology.

On the other hand, a more practical skill, like how to inventory the parts of your kit (not as easy as it might sound considering three of the parts are, essentially, wire) is completely ignored. And when putting the thing together we constantly wondered whether we were doing it correctly. (The kit has some slack fortunately, but the book was written by experienced builders without a good viewpoint on what it's like to put one of these things together for the first time.)

Fortunately, some of the actual putting-together skills =are= addressed (like the tricky business of knotting wire) and a few more chapters of that and one or two on basic terminology, with a lot less about the wonders of engineering could turn this book (or a different one) into a classic.

If you're somewhat seasoned technically or have someone who won't be put out by you asking a bunch of questions, this isn't a bad kit. (It is, as mentioned, revolutionary.) If you're teaching a class in the subject, be prepared to field questions and keep an eye on your students when they start drifting off into a sea of undefinied terminology. Better yet, prepare a glossary; this book doesn't have one. (Actually, if I were teaching a class on robotics, I'd get the book and the kit, and then write instructions for the students from scratch, and have them get just the kit.)

Somewhat ironically, engineering principles weren't really applied to the construction of the book, and that's too bad. It could've been a contender.

This book reads easy, and the instructions on building the robots are clear and concise.

The robot-kit that comes with the book is a little disappointing. Building it took me 4-5 hours of concentrated effort, and it was quite fun to do. The result is not a smoothly walking robot though. Using the manual controller, you control two sets of three legs. If you activate one set of legs, they jerk backwards in a an attempt to move the 'bot forward. As one of the other reviewers said: "This robot will not impress your friends, even if they are very geeky".

There is a good side to this though. The disappointing results with the basic Stiquito prompted me to start building one of the PC controllers in the book, and I've set my hopes on "Boris", a larger six-legger that actually lifts its legs before moving them.

In conclusion, don't buy this book expecting you'll build an impressive robot with the kit. Buy it to learn some basic robot-building skills or to get experience with muscle-wire. My rating is for the BOOK, not for the kit.

I recently bought a copy of this book as a gift for my Little Brother. After reviewing it with him, I had to have my own copy.

I am trying to make the leap from building Lego robots to nitinol-based free-form robotics. This book seems like the perfect guide for that path.

I am nearly done creating the Stiquito robot from Chapters 1-2. The instructions for building it were great. I was able to build the robot without any significant problems, which is amazing.

Other chapters provide blueprints for making autonomous robits that are programmable from the PC. I have already ordered more parts for this and can't wait to get started on those.

I am thrilled with this book. I think you will be also.

I thought the price of the book was well worth the value of the kit and detailed instructions in Chapters 1-2. If you are already beyond this, then value of the more complex plans is well worth the price of the book.

A good book to learn robotic for everyone especially those with computer and engineering background. Nonetheless others with enthusiasm, and willingness to experiment would find that this book is unique and excellent in its approach . What makes this book as an excellent introductory reading, is that it comes with kit. Once you've read about stiquito, you can go ahead and build one for yourself. What kind of stiquito personality you want to build will depend on your creativity and willingness to experiment. It also teaches you how to write program to control simple robot using easy to get resources. Robotic is fun indeed.

The parts are included to actually build a small stick-like 6-legged insect like robot. It's not easy to build, and there are only barely enough materials with small margin for error. But consider that it is amazing to get both the book AND the parts you need included with it. You'll need good dexterity to successfully put together the tiny parts and wires. Follow directions closely. But even if you fail, you'll have some fun. The book is great reading too. Good Luck!

I notice that the reviews for this book tend to be 5 star or 1 star. I can understand both stances.

I think that the concept of packaging the actual robot parts with the book is really nice. The little Stiquito is sort of nifty, but not something you'll be likely to impress your friends with, unless they are the very nerdy type. Actually, even if they are the really nerdy type, they might not be impressed. It is nevertheless the six legged walker with a tripod gait. Nifty.

Building the Stiquito is sort of delicate. Good thing the instructions are good. You learn to appreciate the details of constructing something so simple. You learn simple things like securing the end of a piece of wire are not always so simple. Those with limited patience and limed manual dexterity may want to avoid this book.

I should be mentioned that the Stiquito is just a 'platform'...it walks if you control switches in the right way to make it walk. It is not in ANY way antonomous.

The informations about how to go beyond the simple little robot which doesn't even have a brain is not very in-depth, but good enough to get you moving on. Actually, if you are really interested in nitinol wires, this book does a pretty good job going through the various other nitinol based robots.

Personally, I think a kit that costs maybe three or four times as much, but has more parts to play with might be better, but then again I love robots and I'm not afraid to pay for robot stuff. For those testing the waters of a new hobby, and are good at delicate handiwork, this might be a good purchase.

A good book to learn robotics for everyone especially those with computer and engineering background. Nonetheless others with enthusiasm, and willingness to experiment would find that this book is unique and excellent in its approach . What makes this book as an excellent introductory reading, is that it comes with kit. Once you've read about stiquito, you can go ahead and build one for yourself. What kind of stiquito personality you want to build will depend on your creativity and willingness to experiment. It also teaches you how to write program to control simple robot using easy to get resources. Robotics is fun indeed.