Learn Robotics Programming: Build and control AI-enabled autonomous robots using the Raspberry Pi and Python

Good reference for robotics programming

My background is in business systems software. I've always wanted to get involved in writing embedded code and robotics, but things never came together, until now. In past attempts I would try to get started only to discover that the author required skills or hardware I didn't have, or have access to. This book is different. What makes it special: 1. The writing is as clear as possible without being over simplified. 2. Sophisticated ideas are explained and demonstrated using inexepensive off the shelf hardware. 3. All of the Python source code is available for free download. While technically you could build the robot without knowing Python, I strongly suggest you learn python so that you can leverage what you have learned and do more amazing things. Also, the author does explain the Python code as he goes. So don't panic if you have doubts about your Python skills. Will you build the Ultimate Robot with this book? No, of course not. But what you will have is an understanding good enough that you can leverage what you've learned and build something more complex and custom.

Brief Review: This book is primarily geared towards the audience who wants to get a hands on robotics, but don't how or where to start. There reason being that the contents of the book are organized in such a way that a beginner can work through each chapter gradually building up the skill and understanding the different components of a simple robot. The author has also provided a troubleshooting section as part of the chapters to address the common issues which arise while installing or programming a software system. This is a well thought addition to the book as it saves time for the reader while working through the book. Technical content Review: The author has really put an effort to make the readers go through the design phase(block diagrams) to converting them to software modules. This is much appreciated as it helps the readers to develop the habit of thinking about the bigger picture before getting into the actual development. The chapters which were my favorite are the ones where the author explains the working of different sensors especially chapter 16 where working of IMU is explained in depth along with hands on examples. Furthermore, each chapter has exercises and additional reading section to help the readers to get in depth understanding of the concepts. Final thoughts: I would give this book a rating of 4.0. Overall the book is solid and gives an overview of the robotic concepts. Few places where I felt the contents could have been improved are the section where the web servers were introduced which was little confusing and may not be beginner friendly.

This book wonderfully supported me and my 12th grade student. I am a physics teacher and I know a little (not a lot) about programming, hardware, and arduinos. So when a senior proposed an independent study robotics elective, I hesitated. But we forged ahead with this book. And he had a terrific experience. Early on, we stayed faithful to the book, and in the second half of the school year, we began introducing variations and add-on challenges after each chapter. By the end, he was able to create a robot that used a magic marker to write on butcher paper any word that you type into a nearby computer. He learned a lot! I think a bright student who has a lot of willingness to trouble shoot, debug, and problem solve could have a pretty good experience. And if they have even a little mentoring and coaching, this could be a great vehicle to make that happen. Likewise, a good teacher can pick up this book and use it to help a motivated kid.

About This Book I have had an interest in robotics since I was a teenager. My fiction-addled mind saw it as something easy to learn but difficult to master. With the lack of resources 20+ years ago, I then assumed that it was both hard to learn and near impossible to master. Looking at this book, I now know that my initial assessment was correct. This book is about giving you a foundation in creating a robot using Python and a Raspberry Pi. Who Is This For? This is a good book for someone with a Python background that wants to learn about robotics. It's a great way to learn the basics of robotics programming, as it covers the topic from the very beginning and looks at all areas that affect any robot. Why Was This Written? Yes, there are other books on robotics, but I like this one as it focuses on Python and the Raspberry Pi. Both are great and easy to acquire resources and in the end, you use them to build a working robot. Personally, I would find ways to expand your robot so that it's not just another Hello World project. Organization I LOVE the macro organization of this book. There are four sections: basics, building a basic robot, making the robot smarter, and how to take it even further. This is exactly what I would want for a project-based book. The only thing missing from this book, and this is a huge peeve for me, is that there is no section that talks about all of the hardware needed for the project. Bits and bobs are located in most chapters but don't stand out. I would want to order all of my hardware at once and save time and money. As it stands, you have to order for each chapter. Did This Book Succeed? Yes. This is a great beginner book that will give anyone the confidence to create their own robot from scratch afterward. This book is also complete in keeping up with current topics, such as voice commands, pathfinding, and computer vision. It is the one book you need to get started in robotics. Rating and Final Thoughts This book is complete and useful, but not perfect. I mentioned before an important feature that was left out. However, that is the only negative that I can really bring up. If you're interested in learning about robotics, get this book. I give this book a 4.8 out of 5. Read it.

The book uses Raspberry Pi with the Python programming language so it would really benefit anyone starting their journey in robotics, embedded and/or software systems be it young hobbyists or engineering students. The author does a great job at explaining many of the fundamental concepts in robotics through nicely laid out chapters. Each chapter further provides links to additional interesting topics even research papers sometimes to broaden the knowledge. There are lots of examples that walk you through the concepts in a series of steps with code snippets. This way of teaching conveys the concepts with the practical implementation aspect at the same time. I really enjoyed reading the chapters on PID, IMU, etc. and being a robotics engineer myself I found the book to be a good refresher for many subtle aspects that one might often ignore in the long run. Kudos to the author for being able to elucidate the concepts for the wider audience. The book is well-written, concise and definitely worth a read!

This is a very useful book for robotics lovers, even for beginners. The author introduces different kinds of robots, actuators, sensors, hw/sw blocks that are useful in a robot, for beginners; and the method of building a robot with Raspberry Pi step by step. Detailed hw and sw configurations to control robot motors and sensors with python from easier level to difficult level are included. Practical experiments of obstacle avoidance, color displaying, servomotor control, etc. are also included. Challenging experiments, i.e. robot vision sensors, voice communication with robot, remote control, are also provided. Besides, robotics related theories, like PID feedback control theory, color RGB theory, OO programming skills (codes in GitHub), IMU. All in all, this is a book of very inclusive and deep analysis of robotics.

This book starts by clearly explaining robotics concepts, and goes on through adding movement and sensors, to communication. It's all based on the Raspberry Pi so the parts list will be affordable for most. I'm now following this author to see what else he comes up with. Definitely recommend this book.

It's great I'm loving it... I've read through to chapter 6 so far, having built and coded for the base build for basic movement without sensors. I've throughly enjoyed the process. In my opinion the book is very well structured and informative as it guides you through the build... thank you Danny for taking the time to put all this together... John.

Best book I have ever read for beginners to learn hobby robotics. I've read other reviews and have to assume they did not follow the book carefully. Read the book once without touching any hardware. Create a shopping list as you go, and order everything so that the next time you read the book, you will have the materials handy. You can get most from Amazon, but somethings you need to search for. I have followed the book word for word and EVERYTHING is well thought out, well explained, and worked for me. You will run into challenges with the software installs, but you will need to trouble shoot yourself. That is the nature of this type of hobby, and if you aren't into that, you need to choose a new hobby. Using the book I have built the robot and learned all the coding building blocks to do everything I want to do. Now I have to use my imagination and these building blocks to build the software so that the robot does what I want it to do. Very happy with my purchase. (btw, it cost me about $500cad for the parts I needed, and that didn't include all the various tools such as soldering iron) Over all, very happy with this book.

Useful

Nice book with lots of illustrations and examples to help you build your own robot step by step. It will help me for my vintage radiobot project for sure.

information is excellent , too bad the pictures are black and white and poorly reprinted . otherwise happy with purchase.