Very cool narrative aimed straight at the hardcore tinkerer. For the restless kid inside you, that really digged hands on experience, and who perhaps is left neglected by all this software/web browsing.There are sections of the book that could have been written in the 1970s and 1980s. Like chapters 9 and 10, Driving Miss Motor and Driving Mister Motor. The descriptions of the discrete components and putting them together on a breadboard in something like an npn or pnp motor driver circuit seem so much from that period. Nothing wrong about this, I might add. Much of the progress in electronics has been at ever decreasing dimensions of logic circuitry. But at the macroscopic level, where you might have to supply enough power to move a robot, for instance, much of the lessons of then are still state of the art.
Cook provides here a grand tour of many tasks you might need to perform to make a nifty robot. Quite aside from whic, it also gives you a good exposure to analog electronics and electromechanical design.
This book is a Staple for any Robot Enthusiasts bookshelfDavid Cook does it again! His first book Robot Building for Beginners has become my bible for the fundamentals of building robots. When searching college websites, Ive even seen classes created around it (if you dont believe me do a google search). Needless to say, Ive had extremely high expectations and anticipations for his next work. Put it this way. I received his book at 10:30am this morning in the mail at work. I started reading it during lunch and then asked my boss for the rest of the day off so I could finish it. I AM STOKED!
This book takes you by the hand and gives you step-by-step- instructions as well as part and circuit descriptions to build modules for the robot "Roundabout." I always read a robot book first before I start building-I like to know what Im in for. Most books will give some description and direction, but David Cook leaves nothing unanswered. I believe its pointless to assemble some parts by following directions and have no clue the electronics/mechanics behind it. The whole point is to eventually have the knowledge to build your own. At this level, you will not find a better book. Im speaking as an owner of 19 robot books. Most books didnt warrant the project for me. After a read (or at least about 3 reads in my case for complete retention), you will be able to explain your parts, how they work together, as well as the reasons behind the choices to include that particular part, as apposed to another, in the first place. Im ordering my parts for the robot tomorrow, but after my first reading I can already explain about 60% of everything about this robot. Now if only I could remember that much in my night classes...
Well, thats my raving review of the book. Please see my review below for what youll get when you buy the book. And since I didnt want to leave anything out...
A course in analog electronics