Page 38 - Robot Builder's Bonanza

SKILLS YOU NEED 7

• More powerful. Inexpensive microcontrollers add horsepower and functionality, with more
memory, faster processing speeds, and easier interfacing to other components. If you have
a PC with a USB port, you can start working with microcontrollers today— many cost just
a few dollars and can control an entire robot.

Skills You Need

You don’t have to be an expert in electronics and mechanical design to build robots. Far from
it. Which of these best describes you?

• I’m just starting out. If you’re an absolute raw beginner in all things robotics, start with the
My First Robot lessons found on the RBB Online Support site (see Appendix A for details).
The lessons give you step- by- step instructions for building the RBB Bot, an inexpensive
autonomous (runs on its own) robot. You’ll learn about the fundamentals of electronics and
robotics.
• I have some electronics or mechanical background. Plow straight ahead to the construc-
tion guides and how- tos that follow. This book is organized into parts so that you can bone
up on your skills and knowledge as you read.
• I’m an experienced tinkerer. If you are already versed in electronics and mechanics, you’re
well on your way to becoming a robot experimenter extraordinaire. You can read the
chapters in the order you choose. There are plenty of cross- references among chapters to
help you connect the dots.

ELECTRONICS BACKGROUND
Electronic circuits are what make your robots “thinking machines.” You don’t need extensive
knowledge of electronics to enjoy creating robots. You can start with simple circuits with a
minimum of parts. As your skills increase, you’ll be able to (at the least) customize existing
circuits to match your needs.
This book doesn’t include much in the way of electronics theory, just practical information
as it relates to building bots. If you’re looking for detailed college- level instruction on electron-
ics, check out any local library and do a Web search for books and publications.
Many of the circuits in this book are in schematic diagram form, a kind of blueprint for how
the parts of the circuit are connected. If you’ve never seen a schematic, you can read up on
them in Part 5 of this book, plus the My First Robot lessons (see Appendix A, “RBB Online
Support”), which includes a whirlwind introduction to electronics. There, you can see how a
schematic road map corresponds to actual components of a circuit you can build yourself— see
Figure 1-4 for an example. There are really only about a dozen common schematic symbols,
and you can learn what you need to know with just an evening of study.

The parts for the electronic projects in this book are all selected to be widely available and
reasonably affordable. I decided not to include vendor part numbers right in the book because
ON THE
these can change quickly.
Instead, you can visit the RBB Online Support site (see Appendix A) for updated lists of parts
W E B
used in this book and where to get them. You’ll also find direct links to many parts— just click
and you’re there.

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