Page 26 - Robot Builder's Bonanza

INTRODUCTION

Robotics: Inspired Technology

Which of these fields are involved in robotics? You may choose from the following: engineer-
ing, electronics, psychology, sociology, biology, physics, artificial intelligence, math, art,
mechanical design, mechanical construction, computer programming, sound synthesis, vision,
ultrasonics, linguistics, microelectronics, process control, system automation, musicology.
If you said “all of them,” you’re right.
And if you think I missed some, I have. Robotics is all of these things, and much more. Its
popularity comes from all the disciplines it embraces. When you build a robot, you can explore
everything from mechanical design to computer engineering to behavioral science.
Every robot is different, a reflection of its creator— you. Want to make an art bot that spins
around on a piece of paper, drawing pictures using crayons? Why not! It’s your creation. You
set the rules.

No Better Time to Play with Robots

New technologies have dramatically driven down the cost of building a robot, not to mention
the time it takes to construct one. Now is the ideal time to get into robotics. It’s never been
cheaper, and the result far exceeds what was possible even five years ago.
For less than $75 you can construct a sophisticated, fully autonomous robot that can be
programmed from your computer. Easily change its behavior as you experiment with new
designs.
Robotics is still a cottage industry. There’s plenty of room for growth, with a lot of discov-
eries yet to be made. Maybe you’ll be the one to make them?
If so, that’s where this book comes in.
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