The second edition of this handbook provides a state-of-the-art overview on the various aspects in the rapidly developing field of robotics. Reaching for the human frontier, robotics is vigorously engaged in the growing challenges of new emerging domains. Interacting, exploring, and working with humans, the new generation of robots will increasingly touch people and their lives. The credible prospect of practical robots among humans is the result of the scientific endeavour of a half a century of robotic developments that established robotics as a modern scientific discipline. The ongoing vibrant expansion and strong growth of the field during the last decade has fueled this second edition of the Springer Handbook of Robotics. The first edition of the handbook soon became a landmark in robotics publishing and won the American Association of Publishers PROSE Award for Excellence in Physical Sciences & Mathematics as well as the organization’s Award for Engineering & Technology. The second edition of the handbook, edited by two internationally renowned scientists with the support of an outstanding team of seven part editors and more than 200 authors, continues to be an authoritative reference for robotics researchers, newcomers to the field, and scholars from related disciplines. The contents have been restructured to achieve four main objectives: the enlargement of foundational topics for robotics, the enlightenment of design of various types of robotic systems, the extension of the treatment on robots moving in the environment, and the enrichment of advanced robotics applications. Further to an extensive update, fifteen new chapters have been introduced on emerging topics, and a new generation of authors have joined the handbook’s team. A novel addition to the second edition is a comprehensive collection of multimedia references to more than 700 videos, which bring valuable insight into the contents. The videos can be viewed directly augmented into the text with a smartphone or tablet using a unique and specially designed app. Springer Handbook of Robotics Multimedia Extension Portal: http://handbookofrobotics.org/

"This collection of articles from the Soviet and Russian press paints an intriguing portrait of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Unlike Western media outlets, this conflict has been a mainstay in the Soviet, then Russian press. The present collection of articles--carefully translated, edited, and culled from a vast repository of Russian-language press curated by East View--presents in book form for the first time in English some of the most important material that has appeared from 1988 to the present. By bringing together this unique collection, East View Press aims to provide readers with the immediate context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the lens of Moscow, along with some insight into its complex historical, political and ethnic underpinnings. Black Garden Aflame will be of interest to specialists and general readers alike"--

Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning offers a deep insight and comprehension of the world of Art. Contents: What is Art? The Structure of Art Significance of Materials Used in Art Describing Art - Formal Analysis, Types, and Styles of Art Meaning in Art - Socio-Cultural Contexts, Symbolism, and Iconography Connecting Art to Our Lives Form in Architecture Art and Identity Art and Power Art and Ritual Life - Symbolism of Space and Ritual Objects, Mortality, and Immortality Art and Ethics

Save time and avoid trouble as you search the Internet for reliable resources Evolving Internet Reference Resources provides both beginning and experienced researchers with a comprehensive overview of the key information sources available online in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. This invaluable book is your guide to the best free and subscription-based Internet sites and services for 26 diverse subject areas, including law, psychology, rhetoric, LGBT studies, health and medicine, engineering, Asian studies, and computer science. Experts in specific areas review Web sites, meta sites, indexing and abstracting services, directories, portals, databases, and blogs for their accessibility and usability, saving you valuable time and effort in your search for the best academic research and reference resources on the Web. Evolving Internet Reference Resources is your pathfinder for all levels of research in crucial areas of academic and general interest. The book will lead you through the almost overwhelming volume of information available online to help you steer clear of unreliable, untrustworthy, and slipshod material as you search for dictionaries, glossaries, bibliographies, images, book reviews, career information, fieldwork opportunities, biographical sources, timelines and chronologies, audio and video clips, interactive maps, online collections, and much more. Topics covered in Evolving Internet Reference Resources include: significant developments in the availability of art images on the Web how Internet resources have transformed rhetoric, composition, and poetry why free Web sites can sometimes be unreliable organizational strategies for librarians how commercial publishers have acquired some of the best LGBT online resources the potential for Internet resources to enhance social activism in Latin America new approaches taken by librarians in creating online information government agency Web sites online versions of college guides the development of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology the virtual reference shelf available to nursing students and faculty ESL (English as a Second Language) Web sites Evolving Internet Reference Resources is an essential tool for all librarians (academic, school, special, and public), library science faculty, and faculty and students in a wide variety of disciplines.