Making Simple Robots

Book description

Making Simple Robots is based on one idea: Anybody can build a robot! That includes kids, English majors, school teachers, and grandparents. If you can knit, sew, or fold a flat piece of paper into a box, you can build a no-tech robotic part. If you can use a hot glue gun, you can learn to solder basic electronics into a low-tech robot that reacts to its environment. And if you can figure out how to use the apps on your smart phone, you can learn enough programming to communicate with a simple robot.

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Table of contents

  1. Preface
    1. Conventions Used in This Book
    2. Using Code Examples
    3. Safari® Books Online
    4. How to Contact Us
    5. Acknowledgments
  2. Introduction
    1. What Is a Simple Robot?
    2. What’s in This Book?
    3. How Are Projects Laid Out?
  3. 1. Robots Made from Interesting Materials
    1. Project: Make Actuated Paper
      1. What It Does
      2. Where It Came From
      3. How It Works
      4. Making the Project
      5. Project Parameters
      6. What You Need to Know
        1. Gather Your Materials
        2. Directions
    2. Project: Make an Inflatable Robot
      1. What It Does
      2. Where It Came From
      3. How It Works
      4. Making the Project
      5. Project Parameters
      6. What You Need to Know
        1. Gather Your Materials
        2. Directions
  4. 2. Robots That Get Around
    1. Project: Make a Compressible Tensegrity Robot
      1. What It Does
      2. Where It Came From
      3. How It Works
      4. Making the Project
      5. Project Parameters
      6. What You Need to Know
      7. Gather Your Materials
      8. Directions
    2. Project: Design a Wheel-Leg Hybrid
      1. What It Does
      2. Where It Came From
      3. How It Works
      4. How Does a 3D Printer Work?
      5. Making the Project
      6. Project Parameters
      7. What You Need to Know
      8. Gather Your Materials
      9. Directions
  5. 3. Unevolved Robots
    1. Project: Make a Swarm of Gliding Vibrobots
      1. What Is a Vibrobot?
      2. What It Does
      3. Where It Came From
      4. How It Works
      5. Making the Project
      6. Project Parameters
      7. What You Need to Know
        1. Gather Your Materials
        2. Directions
    2. Project: Make a Souped-Up Solar BEAM Wobblebot
      1. What Is a BEAM Robot?
      2. What It Does
      3. Where It Came From
      4. How It Works
      5. Making The Project
      6. Project Parameters
        1. Gather Your Materials
        2. Directions
  6. 4. Robot Friends and Helpers
    1. Project: Make a Chatbot Program
      1. What Is a Chatbot?
      2. What It Does
      3. Where It Came From
      4. How It Works
      5. Making the Project
      6. Project Parameters
      7. What You Need to Know
      8. Gather Your Materials
        1. Directions
    2. Project: Picture Yourself in the Uncanny Valley
      1. What Is the Uncanny Valley?
      2. What It Does
      3. Where It Came From
      4. How It Works
      5. Making the Project
      6. Project Parameters
      7. What You Need to Know
      8. Gather Your Materials
        1. Directions
  7. 5. Fun, Artsy Robots
    1. Project: Make a littleBits Plotter
      1. What Is a Plotter?
      2. What It Does
      3. Where It Came From
      4. How It Works
      5. Making the Project
        1. Project Parameters
        2. What You Need to Know
        3. Gather Your Materials
        4. littleBits Modules
        5. Optional littleBits Modules
        6. Directions
    2. Project: Make FiberBot, an E-Textile Arduino Robot
      1. What Are E-Textiles?
      2. What It Does
      3. Where It Came From
      4. How It Works
      5. Making the Project
        1. Project Parameters
        2. What You Need to Know
        3. Gather Your Materials
        4. The Fabric Body
        5. Directions
  8. Afterword: What I Learned Writing This Book
  9. Index
  10. About the Author
  11. Colophon
  12. Copyright

Product information

  • Title: Making Simple Robots
  • Author(s): Kathy Ceceri
  • Release date: September 2014
  • Publisher(s): Make: Community
  • ISBN: 9781457183638