🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <21055@well.sf.ca.us> nagle@well.sf.ca.us (John Nagle) writes:
>
>	In general, all TAB books are lousy.  They seem consistently to
>   contain vast amounts of filler material and very little meat.  They
>   usually read as if someone collected whatever information was easily
>   available on the subject and reworked it just enough to avoid 
>   plagarism problems.

A sweeping generalization, of course.  It's been 5-6 years since I've seen a
new TAB publication, but there were several that I found very informative.  In
particular, David Heiserman (sp?) has an excellent series of books on
hobby-level robotics.  I don't have exact references, but one that come to
mind:

"How To Build Your Own Working Robot", 1974(?).  Tells how to build "Buster",
an intelligent platform constructed using exclusively TTL logic!

"Intellegent Robotic Projects" (or something like that), 1979(?).  Tells how to
design computer programs (book uses TRS-80 BASIC!) that simulate algorithms
that can be used on intelligent platforms.

"How To Build Your Own Programmable Robot", 1980(?).  An updated
version of Buster, based on microprocessor (8085) technology.  Tells how to
design a self-programming machine which adapts itself ("learns") to its
environment.

"Personal Robotics Handbook" (again, not sure of exact title), 1981(?).  Gives
a good intro to design your own robot systems: how to calculate motor and power
requirements based on required torques, speed and other physical parameters
(great for a EE with little formal mechanical theory/training) of the system,
sensing schemes, programming, etc.

All of these books are geared toward the hobbyist, as opposed to someone who is
involved in industrial robotics or R&D, but really deliver for their intended
audience.  To say that they they contain "vast amounts of filler" is certainly
untrue in this case.
--
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Mike McManus                        Mike.McManus@FtCollins.NCR.COM, or
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