Product Description

This work provides the hobbyist with detailed mechanical, electronic, and PIC microcontroller knowledge needed to build and program a snake, frog, turtle, and alligator robots. It focuses on the construction of each robot in detail, and then explores the world of slithering, jumping, swimming, and walking robots, and the artificial intelligence needed with these platforms.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #280110 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 363 pages

From the Back Cover
ROBOTIC EVOLUTION HAS BEGUN! THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO JOIN THE REVOLUTION

If you're a robotics hobbyist with a flair for creativity, here's your opportunity to join the revolution and advance robotic evolution. Amphibionics: Build Your Own Biologically Inspired Reptilian Robot leads you step-by-step through four amazing projects which, when completed, will leave you as master of a gang of robot reptiles that jump, slither, walk, swim, and respond to their environment!

Packed with insight and a wealth of informative illustrations, Amphibionics show you how to build your own snake, frog, crocodile, and turtle. It focuses on the construction of each robot in detail, and then explores the world of slithering, jumping, swimming, and walking robots -- along with the artificial intelligence needed to make these movements happen. The book also:

* Tells you all you need for mechanical construction, programming, locomotion, remote control, and customization
* Teaches you corresponding electronics, PIC programming, artificial intelligence, software, motor control, and wireless data linking.
* Instructs you to build your own customizable remote control using inexpensive transmitter and receiver modules
* Helps you add your own touches, through a special section that shows you how to evolve each robot further and make it unique
* And much, much, more!

With each project amazingly inexpensive to complete, you're bound to wind up with your own brood of reptilian robots in no time!

About the Author
Karl Williams is an independent robotics researcher, electronics experimenter, and software developer. He is with Mitra Imaging, a leading medical imaging software company acquired by AGFA HealthCare Informatics. He is the author of Insectronics: Build Your Own Walking Robot and has written for Nuts and Volts magazine. A resident of Ontario, Canada, Karl has hosted a robotics and electronics website for four years, and received an IBM regional computer technology award for building a computer-controlled robotic arm.

Customer Reviews

Amazing book! Build four incredible robots
Finally a book that gives complete, concise details for building real working robots.

This book starts out with the basics of metal working and test equipement that will be needed to build the robots. There is a very informative chapter on PIC programming that makes understanding and programming microcontrollers very easy. The book has great mechanical drawings for cutting, drilling and bending the aluminum. The schematics are easy to follow and printed circuit board templates are also included so you can make your own circuit boards. There are also diagrams that show you exactly where each of the electronic components should be positioned on the boards. Once the circuit boards and mechanics have been constructed, complete wiring diagrams are included showing you how to wire everything up - this book does not let you down!!

The first robot project is a frog that achieves locomotion by jumping. This is a really cool design and it uses the same circuit board that was used for the Insectronic robot (his first
book).

The second robot is a snake and is very cool. This is my favorite robot in the entire book and the only one that I have built so far. It is so amazing to watch this robot move around
the room. Once again, the book is complete in the details for building and programming this robot along with building an infrared sensor board. Lots of great pictures. The author also has a website with movies of the snake...

THe Third robot is a four legged walking crocodile. This robot uses a dual motor gearmotor and an interesting mechanical design. This chapter also focuses on the implementaion of a wireless data link, remote control, DC motor control and leg sensors. The pictures and diagrams are excellent.

The fourth robot is a wheeled turtle robot that can move in any direction. It shows you how to use an ultrasonic range finder for precise measurement and an optical shaft encoder implemented for room mapping. This chapter is a lot of fun because the history of Grey Walters' historic robot turtle experminents are described.

Each chapter starts with a description of the robots biological counterpart and its inspiration.

This book is worth twice what it is selling for!

...

Awesome book!
In response to the last review I have to say that all of the files listed in the book actually ARE available on the authors website - just follow the links that are listed for the book support!! I downloaded all the files without any problems. Craig must have been confused about the PicBasic Pro compiler - you do have to buy that from a software company (microengineering labs) but getting the compiler makes PIC microcontroller programming painless and the author would be liable if he put it on his website for free. You don't even really need the compiler if you are building the robots as they are described in the book because the book lists the hex files needed to program the microcontroller. The great thing about this book is that it stands alone because all of the programs and the hex files are listed in the book so that you don't actually need to access the authors website at all - the book is complete on its own.
The projects are really amazing and so well described that I could do it without a lot of electronics knowledge to begin with. I've built the robot snake and the first time it slithered across the floor was a very exciting achievement. This is the kind of ground-breaking book that could inspire a whole new generation of AI robots!

Another Great Book!
This is an excellent way of learning about the PIC microcontroller and continues on from Karl Williams Insectronics book. A bit more organized and more robots you can build from scratch. Karl Williams shows you everything about assembling a robot. Great job, keep them coming! ...