CONTENTS
Photo and Illustration Credits
Part 1—The Art and Science of Robot Building
Chapter 1—Welcome to the Wonderful World of Robotics!
Do It Yourself, Kits, or Ready-Made?
Stationary versus Mobile Robots
Autonomous versus Teleoperated Robots
Tethered versus Self-Contained Robots
Where the Word “Robot” Comes From
Using FindChips.com to Locate Parts
Specialty Online Robotics Retailers
Hardware and Home Improvement Stores
Samples from Electronics Manufacturers
Finding What You Need on the Internet
Getting Parts from Specialty Stores
Scavenging: Making Do with What You Already Have
Chapter 4—Safety First (and Always)
Avoiding Damage by Static Discharge
Use Common Sense—and Enjoy Your Robot Hobby
Chapter 5—Building Robot Bodies—the Basics
Picking the Right Construction Material
In Review: Selecting the Right Material
Basic Tools for Constructing Robots
Chapter 6—Mechanical Construction Techniques
First Things First: Eye and Ear Protection
Getting Work Done Fast with Air Tools
Chapter 8—Build a Motorized Wooden Platform
Building and Attaching the Motors
Building and Mounting the Wheels
Chapter 9—Working with Plastic
Main Kinds of Plastics for Bots
The Ins and Outs of Rigid Expanded PVC
How to Smooth the Edges of Plastic
Household Plastics for Bot Constructions
Chapter 10—Build a Motorized Plastic Platform
Measuring the Thickness of Metal
What’s This about Heat Treatments?
Metal from Your Home Improvement Store
Metal from Craft and Hobby Stores
Chapter 12—Build a Motorized Metal Platform
Chapter 13—Assembly Techniques
Screws, Nuts, and Other Fasteners
Chapter 14—Rapid Prototyping Methods
Selecting Lightweight Robot Materials
Cutting and Drilling Substrate Sheets
Rapid Construction with Semipermanent Fasteners
Chapter 15—Drafting Bots with Computer-Aided Design
Making Drilling and Cutting Layouts
File Formats for Vector Graphics
Producing “Quick-Turn” Metal and Plastic Prototypes
Chapter 16—Constructing High-Tech Robots from Toys
Other Construction Sets to Try
Construction with Snap-Together Components
Specialty Toys for Robot Hacking
Making Robots from Converted Toy Vehicles
Chapter 17—Building Bots from Found Parts
A Dozen Ideas to Get You Started
Experimenting with “No-Cut” Metal Platform Designs
Using Wood and Plastic Samples
Keep Your Eyes Peeled and Your Tape Measure Out
Part 3—Power, Motors, and Locomotion
Chapter 18—All about Batteries
Chapter 19—Robot Power Systems
Power and Battery Circuit Symbols
Making Your Own Rechargeable Battery Pack
Using Battery Cells in a Battery Holder
Best Battery Placement Practices
Wiring Batteries to Your Robot
Preventing Reverse Battery Polarity
On the Web: How to Solder a Barrel Plug onto a Battery Holder or DC Wall Transformer
Locomotion Using Other Methods
On the Web: Managing the Weight of Your Robot
Chapter 21—Choosing the Right Motor
Testing Current Draw of a Motor
Motor Control by Bipolar Transistor
Motor Control by Power MOSFET Transistor
Motor Control by Bridge Module
Controlling the Speed of a DC Motor
Bonus Projects: Interfacing to Motor Bridge Modules
Control Signals for R/C Servos
Special-Purpose Servo Types and Sizes
Output Shaft Bushings and Bearings
Electronics for Controlling a Servo
Using Continuously Rotating Servos
Modifying a Standard Servo for Continuous Rotation
Using Servo Motors for Sensor Turrets
Chapter 24—Mounting Motors and Wheels
Mounting and Aligning Motors with Aluminum Channel
Mounting Drivetrain Components to Shafts
Mounting Wheels to DC Gear Motors
Attaching Mechanical Linkages to Servos
Drivetrain Components for Robotics
Working with Different Shaft Types
Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Gears
Chapter 25—Robot Movement with Shape Memory Alloy
Shape Memory Alloy Comes to Robotics
Operating SMA Using a Microcontroller
Experimenting with SMA Mechanisms
Using Ready-Made SMA Mechanisms
Part 4—Hands-on Robotic Projects
Chapter 26—Build Robots with Wheels and Tracks
Basic Design Principles of Rolling Robots
Bonus Project: Double-Decker RoverBot
Chapter 27—Build Robots with Legs
Selecting the Best Construction Material
Walking Gaits for Legged Robots
Bonus Project: Build a 12-Servo Hexapod
Chapter 28—Experimenting with Robotic Arms
Degrees of Freedom in a Typical Robotic Arm
Build a Functional Revolute Coordinate Arm
Build a Robotic Arm from a Kit
Chapter 29—Experimenting with Robotic Grippers
On the Web: More Gripper Plans
Chapter 30—Building Robot Electronics—the Basics
Tools for Electronics You Should Have
Making Electronic Circuits—the Basics
Understanding Wires and Wiring
Chapter 31—Common Electronic Components for Robotics
But First, a Word about Electronics Symbols
On the Web: Stocking Up on Parts
Chapter 32—Using Solderless Breadboards
Anatomy of a Solderless Breadboard
Steps in Constructing a Solderless Breadboard Circuit
Making Long-Lasting Solderless Circuits
Mounting the Breadboard to Your Robot
Tips for Using a Solderless Breadboard
Chapter 33—Making Circuit Boards
Overview of Your Primary Circuit Board Options
Making Permanent Circuits on Solder Breadboards
Using Point-to-Point Perforated Board Construction
Creating Electronic Circuit Boards with PCB CAD
Producing Arduino-Specific Boards with Fritzing
On the Web: Etching Your Own Printed Circuit Board
Using Custom Prototyping Boards
Making Semipermanent Circuits with Wire Wrapping
Effective Use of Plug-in Headers
Part 6—Computers and Electronic Control
Chapter 34—An Overview of Robot “Brains”
Brains from Discrete Components
Chapter 35—Understanding Microcontrollers
All about Microcontroller Categories
Microcontroller Shapes and Sizes
Under the Hood of the Typical Microcontroller Chip
All about Microcontroller Speed
Chapter 36—Programming Concepts: The Fundamentals
Important Programming Concepts
Lucky Seven Most Common Programming Statements
Variables, Expressions, and Operators
On the Web: More Programming Fundamentals
On the Web: Operating Two Servos
Using the Serial Monitor Window
Using Switches and Other Digital Inputs
Understanding the PICAXE Family
Example: Controlling an RC Servo with the PICAXE
Example: Reading Buttons and Controlling Outputs
Chapter 39—Using the BASIC Stamp
Stamp Alone or Developer’s Kit
Hooking Up: Connecting the BASIC Stamp to a PC
Understanding and Using PBasic
Interfacing Switches and Other Digital Inputs
Interfacing DC Motors to the BASIC Stamp
Interfacing RC Servo Motors to the BASIC Stamp
Chapter 40—Interfacing Hardware with Your Microcontroller or Computer
Input and Output Architectures
Using Analog-to-Digital Conversion
Using Digital-to-Analog Conversion
On the Web: Understanding Bitwise Port Programming
Chapter 41—Remote Control Systems
Build a Joystick “Teaching Pendant”
Commanding a Robot with Infrared Remote Control
On the Web: Control by Radio Signal
Part 8—Sensors, Navigation, and Feedback
Chapter 42—Adding the Sense of Touch
Using a Button Debounce Circuit
Debouncing Switches in Software
Programming for Bumper Contacts
Experimenting with Piezoelectric Touch Sensors
On the Web: Build a Piezo Bumper Bar
Other Types of “Touch” Sensors
Chapter 43—Proximity and Distance Sensing
Simple Infrared Light Proximity Sensor
Modulated Infrared Proximity Detector
On the Web: Passive Infrared Detection
Ultrasonic Distance Measurement
Simple Sensors for Robotic Eyes
Building a One-Cell Cyclops Eye
Building a Multiple-Cell Robotic Eye
Using Lenses and Filters with Light-Sensitive Sensors
Video Vision Systems: An Introduction
Chapter 45—Navigating Your Robot
Tracing a Predefined Path: Line Following
Odometry: Calculating Your Robot’s Distance of Travel
Experimenting with Tilt and Gravity Sensors
More Navigational Systems for Robots
Chapter 46—Making and Listening to Sound
Commercial Electronic Sound Effects Kits
Making Sirens and Other Warning Sounds
Using a Microcontroller to Produce Sound and Music
Sound and Music Playback with a Microcontroller
Speech Synthesis: Getting Your Robot to Talk
On the Web: More Sound Projects
Chapter 47—Interacting with Your Creation
Using LEDs and LED Displays for Feedback
Robot-Human Interaction with Lighting Effects
Chapter 48—Danger, Will Robinson!
Sources for Special Parts, Web Sites
Appendix B—Internet Parts Sources
Appendix C—Mechanical Reference
Drill Bit and Tap Sizes—Imperial
Drill Bit and Tap Sizes—Metric
Numbered and Fractional Inch Drill Bit Comparison
Fasteners: Standard (Imperial) Threads at a Glance
Comparison of Decimal Inch, Fractional Inch, Mil, and Gauge
Appendix D—Electronic Reference
Letter Symbols Used in Electronics
Numbering Units in Electronics