| Back Cover Copy:
DO YOU KNOW ASIMO?
Honda's startlingly human robot has toured the United States, rock-star
style. On Valentine's Day, 2002, ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative
Mobility) rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Designed
to assist the disabled, the bipedal wonder's humanness makes interacting
with a machine less intimidating. ASIMO can be rented, but only in Japan.
If you live elsewhere -- or want to own -- you'll just have to build one
yourself!
GREAT 'DROIDS, INDEED!
This unique guide to sophisticated robotics projects brings humanoid robot
construction home to the hobbyist. Written by a well-known figure in the
robotics community, Build Your Own Humanoid Robots provides
step-by-step directions for 6 exciting projects, each costing less than
$300. Together, they form the essential ingredients for making your own
humanoid robot.
YOUR OWN HUMANOID
Serious enough to interest robot professionals, the plans inside offer
serious fun to hobbyists. They give you the power to breathe life into a
mechanical being with amazingly human qualities, and feature all the
instructions you need for programming the inexpensive chips that give your
humanoid brains and sensitivity.
6 Astounding Projects:
- Robotic Arm, Wrist, and Hand. Build a versatile robotic arm
system to give your humanoid the ability to manipulate objects.
A PIC microcontroller provides motor control and feedback.
- Personal Computer Interface. Learn how to interface the robot
arm or any other robotics project to a personal computer for
complete control and feedback.
- Visual Basic Control Software. Develop flexible bidirectional
communications software to control the robot arm or other
projects from your personal computer.
- Voice Recognition Control. Make your robotic arm and walking
robot obey your spoken commands with this completely embedded
control system that can also be used for many other
applications.
- Expressive, Speaking Face. Enable your robot to show
happiness, surprise, excitement, anger, and more, as it speaks
any words you transmit electronically.
- Bipedal Walking Robot. It's your own amazing small scale,
fully autonomous robot! Learn about sensors, analog-to-digital
converters, DC motor control, microcontrollers, feedback, and
control systems.
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Also included is the background information regarding construction
materials, test equipment, printed circuit board fabrication,
microcontrollers, and programming and design considerations needed to
create the humanoid robot projects. |
By
Karl Williams
