Page 8 - Robot Builder's Bonanza

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments xxi
Photo and Illustration Credits xxiii
Introduction xxv

Part 1—The Art and Science of Robot Building

Chapter 1—Welcome to the Wonderful World of Robotics! 3
What the Adventure Holds 3
Why Build Robots? 4
The Building- Block Approach 6
Lower Costs, Better Bots 6
Skills You Need 7
Do It Yourself, Kits, or Ready- Made? 9
Thinking Like a Robot Builder 12

Chapter 2—Anatomy of a Robot 13
Stationary versus Mobile Robots 13
Autonomous versus Teleoperated Robots 14
Tethered versus Self- Contained Robots 15
So, What’s a Robot, Anyway? 16
The Body of the Robot 17
Locomotion Systems 22
Power Systems 24
Sensing Devices 25
Output Devices 27
Where the Word “Robot” Comes From 27

Chapter 3—Getting Parts 29
Local Electronics Stores 30
Online Electronics Outlets 30
Using FindChips.com to Locate Parts 30
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