Learn how to build and program real autonomous robots KEY FEATURES _ÊSimplified coverage on fundamentals of building a robot platform. _ÊLearn to program Raspberry Pi for interacting with hardware. _ÊCutting-edge coverage on autonomous motion, mapping, and path planning algorithms for advanced robotics. Ê DESCRIPTION Practical Robotics in C++ teaches the complete spectrum of Robotics, right from the setting up a computer for a robot controller to putting power to the wheel motors. The book brings you the workshop knowledge of the electronics, hardware, and software for building a mobile robot platform.Ê You will learn how to use sensors to detect obstacles, how to train your robot to build itself a map and plan an obstacle-avoiding path, and how to structure your code for modularity and interchangeability with other robot projects. Throughout the book, you can experience the demonstrations ofÊcomplete coding of robotics with the use of simple and clear C++ programming. In addition, you will explore how to leverage the Raspberry Pi GPIO hardware interface pins and existing libraries to make an incredibly capable machine on the most affordable computer platform ever. Ê WHAT YOU WILL LEARN Ê _ÊWrite code for the motor drive controller. _ÊBuild a Map from Lidar Data. _ÊWrite and implement your own autonomous path-planning algorithm. _ÊWrite code to send path waypoints to the motor drive controller autonomously. _ÊGet to know more about robot mapping and navigation.Ê WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR This book is most suitable for C++ programmers who have keen interest in robotics and hardware programming. All you need is just a good understanding of C++ programming to get the most out of this book. Ê TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Choose and Set Up a Robot Computer 2. GPIO Hardware Interface Pins Overview and Use 3. The Robot Platform 4. Types of Robot Motors and Motor Control 5. Communication with Sensors and other Devices 6. Additional Helpful Hardware 7. Adding the Computer to Control your Robot 8. Robot Control Strategy 9. Coordinating the Parts 10. Maps for Robot Navigation 11. Robot Tracking and Localization 12. Autonomous Motion 13. Autonomous Path Planning 14. Wheel Encoders for Odometry 15. Ultrasonic Range Detectors 16. IMUs: Accelerometers, Gyroscopes, and Magnetometers 17. GPS and External Beacon Systems 18. LIDAR Devices and Data 19. Real Vision with Cameras 20. Sensor Fusion 21. Building and Programming an Autonomous Robot

Taking a completely hands-on approach, using cheap and easily available robotics kits, Practical and Experimental Robotics provides a detailed exploration of the construction, theory, and experiments for different types of robots. With topics ranging from basic stamp microcontrollers to biped and propeller based robots, the text contains laboratory experiments, examples with solutions, and case studies. The authors begin with a review of the essential elements of electronics and mechanics. They describe the basic mechanical construction and electrical control of the robot, then give at least one example of how to operate the robot using microcontrollers or software. The book includes a reference chapter on Basic Stamp Microcontollers with example code pieces and a chapter completely devoted to PC interfacing. Each chapter begins with the fundamentals, then moves on to advanced topics, thus building a foundation for learning from the ground up. Building a bridge between technicians who have hands-on experience and engineers with a deeper insight into the workings, the book covers a range of machines, from arm, wheel, and leg robots to flying robots and robotic submarines and boats. Unlike most books in this field, this one offers a complete set of topics from electronics, mechanics, and computer interface and programming, making it an independent source for knowledge and understanding of robotics.

Designed for beginners, undergraduate students, and robotics enthusiasts, Practical Robot Design: Game Playing Robots is a comprehensive guide to the theory, design, and construction of game-playing robots. Drawing on years of robot building and teaching experience, the authors demonstrate the key steps of building a robot from beginning to end, wi

Chapter 3. Topics; Publishing to a Topic; Checking That Everything Works as Expected; Subscribing to a Topic; Checking That Everything Works as Expected; Latched Topics; Defining Your Own Message Types; Defining a New Message; Using Your New Message; When Should You Make a New Message Type?; Mixing Publishers and Subscribers; Summary; Chapter 4. Services; Defining a Service; Implementing a Service; Checking That Everything Works as Expected; Other Ways of Returning Values from a Service; Using a Service; Checking That Everything Works as Expected; Other Ways to Call Services; Summary.

A modern and unified treatment of the mechanics, planning, and control of robots, suitable for a first course in robotics.

Start programming robots NOW! Learn hands-on, through easy examples, visuals, and code This is a unique introduction to programming robots to execute tasks autonomously. Drawing on years of experience in artificial intelligence and robot programming, Cameron and Tracey Hughes introduce the reader to basic concepts of programming robots to execute tasks without the use of remote controls. Robot Programming: A Guide to Controlling Autonomous Robots takes the reader on an adventure through the eyes of Midamba, a lad who has been stranded on a desert island and must find a way to program robots to help him escape. In this guide, you are presented with practical approaches and techniques to program robot sensors, motors, and translate your ideas into tasks a robot can execute autonomously. These techniques can be used on today’s leading robot microcontrollers (ARM9 and ARM7) and robot platforms (including the wildly popular low-cost Arduino platforms, LEGO® Mindstorms EV3, NXT, and Wowee RS Media Robot) for your hardware/Maker/DIY projects. Along the way the reader will learn how to: Program robot sensors and motors Program a robot arm to perform a task Describe the robot’s tasks and environments in a way that a robot can process using robot S.T.O.R.I.E.S. Develop a R.S.V.P. (Robot Scenario Visual Planning) used for designing the robot’s tasks in an environment Program a robot to deal with the “unexpected” using robot S.P.A.C.E.S. Program robots safely using S.A.R.A.A. (Safe Autonomous Robot Application Architecture) Approach Program robots using Arduino C/C++ and Java languages Use robot programming techniques with LEGO® Mindstorms EV3, Arduino, and other ARM7 and ARM9-based robots.

Mobile Robotics: A Practical Introduction (2nd edition) is an excellent introduction to the foundations and methods used for designing completely autonomous mobile robots. A fascinating, cutting-edge, research topic, autonomous mobile robotics is now taught in more and more universities. In this book you are introduced to the fundamental concepts of this complex field via twelve detailed case studies that show how to build and program real working robots. Topics covered in clued learning, autonomous navigation in unmodified, noisy and unpredictable environments, and high fidelity robot simulation. This new edition has been updated to include a new chapter on novelty detection, and provides a very practical introduction to mobile robotics for a general scientific audience. It is essential reading for 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate students and postgraduate students studying robotics, artificial intelligence, cognitive science and robot engineering. The update and overview of core concepts in mobile robotics will assist and encourage practitioners of the field and set challenges to explore new avenues of research in this exiting field. The author is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Essex. "A very fine overview over the relevant problems to be solved in the attempt to bring intelligence to a moving vehicle." Professor Dr. Ewald von Puttkamer, University of Kaiserslautern "Case studies show ways of achieving an impressive repertoire of kinds of learned behaviour, navigation and map-building. The book is an admirable introduction to this modern approach to mobile robotics and certainly gives a great deal of food for thought. This is an important and though-provoking book." Alex M. Andrew in Kybernetes Vol 29 No 4 and Robotica Vol 18