Robot Builders Source Book - Gordon McComb Episode 1 Part 6 pot

Australia Telerobot 203418
/>Control a robot in Western Australia from your Web
browser! Just remember robots spin backward Down
Under.

BARt-UH 202024
/>BARt-UH is a bipedal autonomous walking robot
designed at the University of Hannover in Germany.
Web site is in English.

Biorobotics 202279
/>Bots at the Biologically Inspired Robotics Lab at Case
Western Reserve University. According to the site, the
lab “is dedicated to the advancement of the field of
robotics using insights gained through the study of bio-
logical mechanisms.”

BIP2000 Anthropomorphic
Biped Robot 202973
/>Fancy two-legged walking robot Laboratoire de
Mecanique des Solides and INRIA Rhne-Alpes. Web site
is in English and French.

Bruno Jau Robotic Hand 203091
/>Finally-a robot that will give you a hand.

Carnegie Mellon, Robotics Institute 203012
/>All about the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon
University in Pittsburgh. Pa.

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182
Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University
Movers and Shakers
Seymour Papert
/>Professor Papert envisioned kids learning by com-
puter when computers were the size of Buicks. He
spearheaded the development of the Logo program-
ming language, which became a de facto standard in
schools across the country in the 1970s and early
1980s. The LEGO Mindstorms line of robotic con-
struction kits is named after his book on using tech-
nology to teach children: Mindstorms: Children,
Computers and Powerful Ideas.
Carnegie Mellon, Robotics Institute 202016
/>Information about the Field Robotics Center at
Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, Pa.).

Carnegie Mellon University:
Minerva 203090
/>Minerva is an autonomous tour guide—“We’re walking,
we’re walking, we’re stopping. . . .”

Case Western Reserve
University-IGERT 203092
/>About the Neuro-Mechanical Systems program at Case
Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio).

Cognitive Architectures 204122
/>Online articles compare a variety of current proposed
cognitive architectures and a workable structure for

classifying and comparing future proposed cognitive
architectures.
SEE ALSO:

/>
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183
So, What Does Your Robot Do?”
If robot makers had a dollar for every time someone asked them that, they’d be neck and
neck with Bill Gates as the world’s richest people. But to be fair, the uses of amateur
robots aren’t always clear.
Here’s a short list of common robotic functions, should you be wondering what your
robot should do—whether you’ve built it already or not.
• Wanderer. This robot does nothing special, except explore. Entire counties have been
built and populated thanks to the explorers, so this is a great job for any robot!
• Line tracer. A simple robot that traces a line is a precursor to many types of worker mach-
ines that dutifully follow a track. Includes delivery robots, sentry robots, and many others.
• Wall follower. Like a line tracer, the wall follower seeks to navigate its realm guided by
the perimeters of a room. All rooms have walls or other boundaries of some type, and
they can be used by simple machines for simple navigation.
• Maze solver. The typical maze-solving robot is an enhanced version of the wall follower.
Mazes can be solved using various algorithms that are based on following the walls of
a maze in a certain sequence.
• Vacuum cleaner. This group encompasses any class of janitorial robot, whether it
cleans the carpets, waxes the floor, or mows the lawn. The issues are the same: Do
some work within a confined space, without knocking over people, pets, and things.
• Burglar alarm/sentry. If a robot is going to wander or trace a line or follow a wall, it
might as well do something constructive at the same time. Robots make for perfect
“mobile burglar alarms” or sentries. Equip yours with a video camera and it can record
crooks in the act. Given the proper sensors, the robot might also sniff out noxious

fumes, like carbon monoxide.
• Drink server. Mobile or stationary robots can serve drinks, appetizers, and other food.
The robot must have a strong arm that can lift the glass or food, which makes them
among the harder machines to build.
• Robot gladiator. Whether the robot fights sumo style or head to head in a death match,
robot gladiators are either autonomous or remote-controlled virtual combatants.
• Firefighter (simulation). There are real firefighting robots, and most are teleoperated by
a human. For a self-governing firefighting robot, simulation is almost as good. Most fire-
fighting contests are designed to prove a design and are staged in miniature “houses”
with candles as the fire.
• Personal assistant. We’re talking simple stuff here, like alarm clocks for waking up in
the morning.
• Educational experience. Let’s not forget that building any robot teaches important
mechanical and scientific principles to the maker. That ought to be worth something today.
• Conversation piece. A robot of your very own, especially one you built, is a great ice-
breaker at parties.
Cool Robot of the Week 202012
/>bots.html
According to the Web site, “The honor of being listed
as ’Cool Robot of the Week’ is bestowed upon those
robotics-related web sites which portray highly innova-
tive solutions to robotics problems, describe unique
approaches to implementing robotics systems, or pres-
ent exciting interfaces for the dissemination of robot-
ics-related information or promoting robotics technol-
ogy.”
1998 archive:
/>coolrobots98.html
1999 archive:
/>coolrobots99.html

2000 archive:
/>coolrobots00.html
2001 archive:
/>coolrobots01.html

Cornell Robotics and
Vision Laboratory 203420
/>csrvl.html
Past and current projects at Cornell Robotics and
Vision Laboratory (Ithaca, N.Y.).

DEMO-Dynamical & Evolutionary
Machine Organization 204124
/>From the Web site: “DEMO attacks problems in agent
cognition using complex machine organizations that
are created from simple components with minimal
human design effort.” From Brandeis University
(Waltham, Mass.).
See also The Golem Project:
/>
Field Robotics Center 202546
/>At Carnegie Mellon University.
In the words of the Web site: “Research into sun-syn-
chronous navigation will discover, express, and exhibit
the importance of reasoning about sunlight as it per-
tains to robotic exploration.”

Franklin Institute’s Robotics 203190
/>Robotics at the Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, Pa.).


Georgia Tech Intelligent Systems &
Robotics 203191
/>From the site: “The goal of the Intelligent Systems and
Robotics group in the College of Computing at Georgia
Tech is to understand and design systems which use
intelligence to interact with the world, making com-
puter controlled systems more autonomous and ubiqui-
tous.”

Georgia Tech Mobile Robot Lab 202547
/>From Georgia Tech: “The Mobile Robot Laboratory’s
charter is to discover and develop fundamental scien-
tific principles and practices that are applicable to intel-
ligent mobile robot systems.”

Hexplorer 2000 203761
/>The Hexplorer is a six-legged walking robot at the
University of Waterloo, located in Ontario, Canada.
Construction details and programming overview are
provided.
See also the main page for the Motion Research Group:
/>
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184
Image Science and Machine Vision Group
203192
/>Says the Web site: “The Image Science and Machine
Vision Group is currently involved in three program-
matic areas: measurement and controls for industry,
biological sciences, and surveillance and security.”


Intelligent Systems and
Robotics Center (ISRC) 203135
/>Among other projects, ISRC contemplates robots for
warfare and national security. Research includes
Surveillance and Reconnaissance Ground Equipment
(SARGE), Miniature Autonomous Robotic Vehicle
(MARV), Accident Response Mobile Manipulator
System (ARMMS), and a Robot that Makes Up
Acronyms (RTMUA).

Iowa State University
Robotics Club 202548
/>At Iowa State University.
From the Web site: “Project Cybot is a unique combina-
tion of a continuous senior design project and a club
open to all students at ISU.”

IRIDIA Projects and Activities 204121
/>Artificial intelligence white papers and project sum-
maries. From IRIDIA, the artificial intelligence research
laboratory of the Université Libre de Bruxelles.

JPL Rover and Telerobotics 203194
/>If it walks on another celestial body—like Mars—and
was launched by NASA, JPL built it. Here, you can read
about JPL’s past, present, and future projects. Be sure
to check out the Robotic Vehicles Group page.

Laboratory for Perceptual

Robotics (LPR) 203877
/>University of Massachusetts Perceptual Robotics labo-
ratory.

LEGO: Distributive Intelligence with
Robots 202246
/>How they got LEGO Mindstorms robots to work
together. Demonstrations include Whistling Brothers,
Travel by Beacon, and Wandering Cyclops.

Lenox High School Bot Club 202059

Here’s what the Web site has to say: “This site details the
efforts of the Lenox High School Bot Club towards the
construction of a super-heavyweight Battlebot named
Logan. We feel that real life engineering projects that
incorporate many scientific applications are a great way
to bring technology into the classroom. Helpful infor-
mation, links and 12 pages of combat robot building
tips are also available.”

Machine Intelligence Laboratory 203073
/>The goings-on at the Machine Intelligence Laboratory
at the University of Florida (Gainesville).

Massachusetts Institute
of Technology 202083
77 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
USA

 (617) 253-1000
 />This is the main Web site for the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass. Links on the
internet-EDU/GOVERNMENT LABS
185
main page take you to various labs and research centers
at the campus. Spend some time on this one.

MIT: Logo Foundation 203119
/>Informational page about the Logo programming lan-
guage, originally developed by professors at MIT
(Cambridge, Mass.).

MIT: MindFest 203101
/>MindFest is a yearly gathering of LEGO-heads. You can
see pictures of past events and read up on upcoming
ones.

Mobile Robots at Loughborough 202266
/>There be robots at the Department of Electronic &
Electrical Engineering at Loughborough University
(Loughborough, England).

NASA 202325
/>The main home page of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration, the outfit in the U.S. that
launches the space shuttle and the occasional robot.

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186

Daily update of things at the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Robotics at Massachusetts Institute of
Technology.
MIT: Artificial Muscle Project 202446
/>The Artificial Muscle Project at the MIT (Cambridge,
Mass.) Artificial Intelligence Laboratory plays around
with linear actuators using a substance known as poly-
mer hydrogel. This material is said to have characteris-
tics similar to human muscle.

MIT: FTP site 203294
/>Downloadable files of various projects, research papers,
and doctoral theses from MIT.
Note that this is an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) site,
and can be used with a specialized FTP program or with
most browsers.

MIT: Leg Laboratory 203256
/>The Leg Lab is world-renowned for its designs of vari-
ous single- and multipedal robots. Movies are available
for many of the designs.

NASA JPL: Mars Pathfinder 202275
/>Informational site about the Mars Pathfinder mission.
The mission may be over, but the interest in it is not.

Navy Center for Applied Research
in Artificial Intelligence 202559
/>From the Web site: “The Navy Center for Applied

Research in Artificial Intelligence (NCARAI) has been
involved in both basic and applied research in artificial
intelligence since its inception in 1982. NCARAI, part
of the Information Technology Division within the
Naval Research Laboratory, is engaged in research and
development efforts designed to address the applica-
tion of artificial intelligence technology and techniques
to critical Navy and national problems.”

Poly-PEDAL Lab 204158
/>The Poly-PEDAL Lab studies motion in animals and
insects. The walk (gait) and balance studies often help
in designing legged robots.

Polypod 203401
/>polypod.html
From the Web site: “Polypod is a bi-unit modular robot.
. . . This page presents work done in 1993 and 1994.
Work on the next generation, called ’PolyBot’ started
mid 1998 at Xerox PARC as part of the modular robot-
ics project under the smart matter theme.”

Robotics and Computer
Vision Laboratory 203419
/>The way they see things as the Robotics and Computer
Vision Laboratory at the University of Illinois (Urbana).

Robotics and Intelligent Machines
Laboratory 203011
/>Research and activities at the Robotics and Intelligent

Machines Laboratory at the University of California at
Berkeley.

Robotics Group at
Columbia University 202263
/>Research in robotics—both mobile and stationary—at
Columbia University (New York, N.Y.).

Robots at Space and
Naval Warfare Systems
See SPAWAR (this section).
Sandia Intelligent Systems
& Robotics Center 202556
/>In the words of the Web site, “The Intelligent Systems
and Robotics Center (ISRC) is a world leader in creat-
ing miniature to macro-sized, teleoperated to
autonomous, vehicles for military and industrial appli-
cations. From environmental clean-up to the battle-
field, the ISRC is expert in developing unique intelli-
gent mobile systems.”

Side Collision Warning System
for Transit Buses 202257
/>Now just imagine the collision system on a big robot
instead of a bus. From Carnegie Mellon University.

SPAWAR 202038
/>A look at robotics at SPAWAR (Space and Naval Warfare
Systems Center) in San Diego, Calif. Most of the robots
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187
are for military, urban defense, or other applications in
which weapons systems—both lethal and nonlethal—
are involved.

Good detailed look at hexapod designs. Recommended
reading.

Toy Robot Initiative 204118
/>The Toy Robot Initiative aims to commercialize robot-
ics technologies in education, toys, entertainment, and
art. Operated from the Mobile Robot Programming
Laboratory in Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics
Institute (Pittsburgh, Pa.).

Union College Robotics Club 203366
/>Schenectady, N.Y.

University of Edinburgh
AI Machine Vision Unit 202551
/>Overview of the Machine Vision Unit at the University
of Edinburgh (that would be in Scotland).

University of Michigan
Artificial Intelligence Laboratory 204253
/>People and projects at the AI lab at the University of
Michigan (Ann Arbor).

University of Michigan
Mobile Robotics Lab

 203468
/>The Mobile Robotics Lab at the University of Michigan
(Ann Arbor). Ho hum? Not quite.
Some special research goes on here in the fields of
robot navigation. Be sure to read the details of the
mobile robot positioning and obstacle avoidance
research. The book Where Am I? (in print, on CD-
ROM, and for electronic download), published by the
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188
Robotics at Space and Naval Warfare Systems
Center.
Stanford Robotics Laboratory 203013
/>How robots live at the Stanford Robotics Laboratory in
Stanford, Calif. See also Stanford’s autonomous heli-
copter work at:
/>helicopters.html/

Talking Heads 202223
/>From the Web site: “This website provides an overview
of the rapidly growing international effort to create
talking heads (physiological/computational/cognitive
models of audio-visual speech), the historical
antecedents of this effort, and related work. Links are
provided (where possible) to the sites of many
researchers and commercial entities working in this
diverse and exciting area.”

Tarry Walking Machines 202022
/>According to the Web site: “This is the homepage of the

Tarry walking machines, which were developed and
built by the Department of Engineering Mechanics at
the University of Duisburg.”
university’s Johann Borenstein, is a classic and is
required reading in many mechatronics courses.
See also Dr. Borenstein’s home page, where he provides
links to many more online robotics resources:


• Interaction Lab (control and learning in multirobot
and humanoid systems)
• Computational Learning and Motor Control Lab
• Laboratory for Molecular Robotics
• Robotic Embedded Systems Lab
• Polymorphic Robotics Laboratory (reconfigurable
robotics)

University of Toronto Robotics &
Automation 202553
/>University of Toronto Robotics and Automation
Laboratory and Mechatronics Laboratory.

URBIE Urban Reconnaissance Robot 203193
/>According to the Web site: “Urbie’s initial purpose is
mobile military reconnaissance in city terrain but
many of its features will also make it useful to police,
emergency, and rescue personnel. The robot is rugged
and well-suited for hostile environments and its auton-
omy lends Urbie to many different applications. Such
robots could investigate urban environments contami-

nated with radiation, biological warfare, or chemical
spills. They could also be used for search and rescue
in earthquake-struck buildings and other disaster
zones.”
USC-Robota Dolls 202013
/>Playing with dolls at the University of Southern
California.
According to the Web site: “The ROBOTA dolls are a
family of mini humanoid robots. They are educational
toys. They can engage in complex interaction with
humans, involving speech, vision, and body imitation.”

USU ECE Center for Self-Organizing
and Intelligent Systems 202262
/>internet-EDU/GOVERNMENT LABS
189
Robotics at the University of Michigan.
University of New Hampshire
Robotics Lab 202552
/>In the words of the Web site: “The research emphasis of
the Robotics Laboratory in the Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering is the application
of fast associative memories and other neural network
learning techniques (such as CMAC neural networks)
to problems in control, pattern recognition, and signal
processing.”

University of Reading
Department of Cybernetics 202082
/>The Cybernetic Intelligence Research Group studies

intelligence and its real-life applications.

University of Southern California
Robotics Research Laboratory 203469
/>Robotics research at USC spans a large number of labs
and projects. These include:
• USC Robotics Research Lab
Robot work at Utah State University. Check out past
and present projects, including the stair-climbing robot
and the omnidirectional wheel designs.

Waterloo Aerial Robotics Group 202554
/>In the words of the Web site: “The Waterloo Aerial
Robotics Group [at the University of Waterloo in
Canada] is a team of engineers who are developing a
series of fully autonomous vehicles (both air and
ground). The goal is to have a fleet of robots that can
work cooperatively toward some predefined goal with-
out the slightest bit of help from any human crew.”

xInternet-Informational
What could be better than information about robotics?
Try free information about robotics! The resources that
follow provide, at no cost, a bevy of useful information
about robotics, electronics, mechanics, programming,
computers, or some other subject directly related to
robot building.
In many cases, the sites listed provide additional infor-
mational resources, so be sure to check each Web site’s
table of contents or home page. Note that a few of the

resources listed here are provided in PDF format and
therefore require the Adobe Acrobat program, which
you can download for free from Adobe. See the intro-
duction for more details.
SEE ALSO:
Internet-Edu/Government Labs: Research
robots
Internet-Personal Web Page: Others share
their robot creations with you
Internet-Plans & Guides: Full plans and guides
for electronics and robotics
Manufacturer (various) : Freebie datasheets,
application notes, and product designs for elec-
tronic components and products
Ackerman Steering and
Racing Oval Tracks 204127
/>What Ackerman Steering is all about. The article talks
about steering for full-size racing cars, but the concepts
are the same for any size vehicles, even robots.

All About MEMS 204142
/>Gateway to MEMS (microelectromechanical systems)
technology, published by Analog Devices, a leader in
the field.
Alphadrome Robots
and Space Toys 202072
/>For collectors of tin robots and space toys. Includes a
discussion board for collectors.

Antique Radio-Phil’s Old Radios 202662

/>Information, want ads, and beginner’s info on working
with old-time radio, antique circuits, and electron tubes.
Art of Motion Control, The 204184
/>Motion control techniques in art. Entertaining reading.

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190
Animal Makers
/>Animatronics company specializing in life-like ani-
mated animals for motion pictures and television
Jim Fuller’s Resource Site
/>Robot and programming resources
MacRobotics
/>Robotics and the Macintosh
Motion Control, Inc.
/>About the Utah arm, “robotic” prosthetic arm
Automation Sensors 202112
6550 Dumbarton Cir.
Fremont, CA 94555
USA
 (435) 753-7300
 (435) 753-7490
 (888) 525-7300
 />Makers of self-contained ultrasonic sensors and pres-
sure products. Check out the technical reference sec-
tion for a number of application notes, as well as handy
white papers (in Adobe Acrobat PDF format) on such
things as dielectric constants, bulk densities, engineer-
ing unit abbreviations, and thread specifications.
internet-informational

191
Self-Contained versus Tethered Robots
What's a real robot? One commonly accepted definition says that it's a self-contained,
autonomous (self-governed) machine that needs only occasional instructions from its
master to set it about its various tasks. A self-contained robot includes its own power
system, brain, wheels (or legs or tracks), and manipulating devices such as claws or
hands. The robot does not depend on any other mechanism or system to perform its
tasks. It's complete, in and of itself.
However, this definition ignores the legions of factory robots that are, in effect,
mechanical arms connected to a computer someplace else in the room. They are consid-
ered “robots” partly because of convention: The term was used by their early creators,
and it's stuck ever since.
Self-contained robots are those that incorporate all of the necessary ingredients for a
self-governed machine—sensors, processing, and mechanical action—all in one box.
Such a robot may be mobile or stationary. A mobile robot has wheels, legs, or some other
form of locomotion. The typical mobile robot is designed either for exploring or delivering;
the typical stationary robot is designed for manipulating objects, such as for construction
or handling dangerous materials.
Tethered robots, on the other hand, are robots in form, but not necessarily in intelli-
gence. The mechanism that does the actual task is the robot itself; the support electron-
ics or components may be separate. The link between robot and control components
might be a wire, a beam of infrared light, or a radio signal. Though only marginally consid-
ered robots, the tethered variety comprise the bulk of all robots in existence today.
Reality versus Fantasy
Where does reality end and fantasy begin? When building robots, the line isn't always
clear. Separating reality from fantasy helps avoid overreaching designs and lost effort.
Fantasy is a Star Wars R2-D2 robot projecting a hologram of a beautiful princess. Reality
is a home-brew robot that rambles down the hallway, maybe even hitting the walls as it
goes. Fantasy is a giant killer robot what walks on two legs and shoots a death ray from a
visor in its head. Reality is a foot-tall “trashcan” robot that offers houseguests a diet soda.

Sure, everyone wants to build a robot that fully replicates human intelligence and abili-
ties, but the reality is that such a robot is far away, even for engineering teams spending
millions of dollars. It's important to be wary of impossible plans. Don't attempt to give
your robot features and capabilities that are beyond your technical expertise or budget.
Here's an idea to help keep you on the reality track: When designing your robot, write
some notes about what you want it to do, then put the notes away. Let them gel in your
brain for a week or two. Quite often, when you review your original design, you will realize
that some of the features and capabilities are mere wishful thinking and beyond the
scope of your time, finances, or skills. Make it a point to refine, alter, and adjust the
design of the robot before, and even during, construction.
Autonomous Robot Controller 202468
/>In the words of the Web site: “ARC is a simulator of
multiple mobile robots. It is used to test controllers
devised by the user in order to streamline the design
phase previous to their installation in real robots. This
simulation is, of course, only an approximation of a real
situation and in some cases a valid controller in simula-
tion will not be so in the real world.”

AutoPilot UAV project 202036
/>The AutoPilot UAV project is intended to develop a
nonpiloted “drone” helicopter. According to the Web
page, “The goal is to produce an autonomous aerial
vehicle that can stay aloft for over two hours, carrying
over 50 kg of payload and cost less than $10,000.”
All is done with free open source software.

Bill Ruehl 202061
/>Microcontroller info and projects:
• Hardware hacks

• Robot-building info
• Links

Chuck Rosenberg: Robot Pages 203475
/>Articles, photos, and resources. Check out “Practical
Robot Building Lessons”—some excellent advice on
robotics, including connectors and repairs.

Chuck’s Robotics Notebook  202654
/>View of robotics from robomeister Chuck McManis.
Semitechnical.

Droid Maker’s Workshop 202130
/>From robot enthusiast Clifford Boerema, robot-build-
ing help, especially for first timers (but some electron-
ics skill or knowledge is handy). Some very nice semi-
technical articles, including schematics.
Dustbots 202845
/>Vacuum cleaner and cleaning robots.
Fred Barton Productions, Inc. 202683
P.O. Box 1701
Beverly Hills, CA 90213-1701
USA
 (310) 234-2956
 (310) 234-0956

 />Information on robotic props by Fred Barton; check
out the Robot Museum.
Fred also sells a limited number of full-sized, licensed
Robby the Robot (from Forbidden Planet fame) robots.

According to the Web site: “Robby, the Robot, manufac-
tured by Fred Barton Productions, Inc. of Hollywood,
California, is an exact 1:1 scale replica of the famous
movie robot as seen in MGM’s classic sci-fi thriller
Forbidden Planet. The Collector’s Edition DX of Robby is
computerized, remote controlled, and incorporates a
digital audio sound-track from the movie that lights the
nine mercury-vapor neon tubes in his mouth synchro-
nously with the robot’s original voice as heard in the film.”
internet-informational
192
Fred Barton and his robot re-creations. Photo
Fred Bardon Productions, Inc.
Fred’s Robby is over 7 feet tall, weighs just over 100
pounds, and is made of fiberglass. The robot is officially
licensed through the current owners of the original film.
V
Furby Autopsy 204156
/>See the insides of a Furby. Clear photographs and close-
ups. Not for the squeamish.
Amazingly, there are also Furby Autopsy T-shirts and
coffee mugs. Buy them here.
G. W. Lucas: Differential Steering 203745
/>A detailed and technical paper on differential steering,
especially as it relates to robots.

Generating Sony Remote Control
Signals with a BASIC Stamp II 203068
/>As the title says.


Generic Algorithms for Gait
Synthesis in a Hexapod Robot 202969
/>publications/rodney2.PDF
Just like the title says. The document requires Adobe
Acrobat Reader.

Handhelds.org 204146
/>As published on the Web site: “Our goal is to encourage
and facilitate the creation of open source software for
use on handheld and wearable computers.”

Hero-1 Robot 202219
/>Projects, FAQ, and information about the ever popular
HERO robot, once sold by Heathkit.

Hints and Tips for Prototyping
with SMD 203044
/>smtguide.htm
Informational guide on how to work with surface
mount components.

History of Robotics 204123
/>A history of robotics, as told by Adam Currie. Not a bad
overview.

HwB: Connector Menu  202088
/>menu_Connector.html
Pinout descriptions of dozens of connector types:
MIDI, PCMCIA, parallel, serial, etc.


ICybie Hacking 203029
/>Steps to hack a Tiger Electronics ICybie pet dog robot.

Imaginerobots.com  202657
/>Danh Trinh’s ever-most-excellent repository of robotic
creations. Danh builds some of the best robots I’ve seen
on the Web; check out his Robot Bug hexapod, which
he built from scratch using plastic parts created with his
desktop CNC machine (he uses a retrofitted Sherline
desktop mill). A particular interest of Danh’s is aerial
robotics.

internet-informational
193
Inexpensive Homebrew Inertial
Guidance System 202334
/>Plans, schematic, and description of building a home-
brew inertial guidance system based on a Tokin CG-16D
gyro sensor, designed to function for aerial navigation.

Infra Red Remote Controls-How
They Work 203046
/>p5/homeworks/hw1p5.htm
Good semitechnical details on how infrared remote
controls work. From the homework notebook of Pedro
Serrano, an undergraduate student at McGill University.
(Gee, my homework never looked this good. . . .)
SEE ALSO:
/>
Introduction to Capacitors 203005

/>Learn all you wanted to know about capacitors here.

Joe Mehaffey and Jack Yeazel’s
GPS Information 203430
/>Joe and Jack yack about global positioning satellite
(GPS) receivers and how to interface with them using
computers.

KISS Institute for Practical
Robotics (KIPR) 202540
/>In the words of the Web site: “KISS Institute for Practical
Robotics (KIPR) is a private non-profit community-
based organization that works with all ages to provide
improved learning and skills development through the
application of technology, particularly robotics. We do
this primarily by providing supplementary, extra-curric-
ular and professional development classes and activities.
KISS Institute’s activities began in 1993.”
KIPR also sponsors the annual Bot Ball tournament for
middle and high school students.

Klatt’s History of Speech Synthesis 204222
/>Contents.html
Speech synthesis through the ages, with downloadable
sample clips, including the infamous “Bicycle Built for
Two” used in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

internet-informational
194
The RoboBug, from Imaginerobotics.com.

Photo Mike Potter
Robo forklift, from Imaginerobotics.com. Photo
Mike Potter.
LED FAQ Pages, The 203783
/>Informational Web page on light-emitting diodes.

Line Follower 202470
/>Controls-2.html
Lots of technical information and math about creating
a line-following robot. Many design formulas.

Max’s Little Robot Shop 202302
/>Robo guru Kenneth Maxon shares some information
on a variety of robot-related technologies, including
robot construction, controllers, and injection molding.
Some nice illustrations of projects.

Murray McKay 202336
/>Murray is a robot builder, and he shares with us his
designs and how-to tutorials. Included for such robots
as Weevil and Aardvark are schematics, example pro-
grams, and descriptions. See also his page on construct-
ing an infrared proximity detector.

NASA: Robotics Education Project 203707
/>From the Web site: “The NASA Robotics Education
Project (REP) is dedicated to encouraging people to
become involved in science and engineering, particu-
larly robotics. REP works to capture the educational
potential of NASA’s robotics missions by supporting

educational robotics competitions and events, facilitat-
ing robotics curriculum enhancements at all educa-
tional levels, and maintaining a web site clearinghouse
of robotics education information.”

Newsgroups: Comp.robotics FAQ 202098
/>Revised (and for now somewhat abridged) version of
the comp.robotics.misc FAQ.

Norwich Robotics Project 203791
/>From the site director, Nick Sheldon: “In December
1998 an application was made todesign and build
eight mobile robots, each to be controlled by a
Pentium PC, and use these to teach free courses on
robotics to the general public. The proposed courses
would consist of morning workshops, to be held at
weekends, and cover all levels from basic skills to A
level equivalent.”
This Web site reviews the courses, worksheets, and
other materials that comprise the project. Some inter-
esting robotics tidbits to be found here, including a self-
assessment quiz for those interested in pursuing higher
education in robotics and mechatronics.

internet-informational
195
Kenneth Maxon Web page.
Mechatronics Tutorial Information 202939
/>ME106/mechatronicstutorials.htm
Some useful lecture notes on things like basic electron-

ics, op amps, and electronics symbols. From San Jose
State University (San Jose, Calif.).

Modular Reconfigurable Robotics 203402
/>Xerox has developed some ideas for robots that remake
themselves into various shapes.
Omniscience Futureneering 203770
/>Various remote-control application notes, including
radio-controled mowers and hacks to give servos more
power. Winner of the Best Tagline on a Web Page
Award: “Everything is dangerous if you’re stupid.”

ParalleMIC 203136
/>Online resource for “parallel mechanisms,” used exten-
sively in robotic arms and hands and also in the legs of
some walking robots.

Paul’s Cheap Sonar Range Finder
Design 203466
/>How Paul built an inexpensive ultrasonic sonar system
using a PIC16F84 microcontroller.

Project 64 202509
/>Collection of software and documentation for the
Commodore 64, including interface plans and
schematics.

Puppet-Building Information 204134
/>Brief details on the puppet-making art, from puppeteer
Nick Barone. The armatures, control linkages, and

even foam bodies of puppets can be used to create
robots.
Puppetry.info 204135
o/
Technical aspects of puppetry, including construction
techniques.

RepairFAQ: Basic Testing of
Semiconductor Devices 202899
/>From Sam Goldwasser’s RepairFAQ: how to test semi-
conductors; test most with a multimeter, but other test
tools are discussed.

internet-informational
196
Main page for Repair FAQ.org.
RepairFAQ: Capacitor Testing 202900
/>From Sam Goldwasser’s RepairFAQ: how to safely test
and discharge capacitors. Hint: It’s not done by licking
the terminals.

RepairFAQ: Salvaging Interesting
Gadgets, Components,
and Subsystems 202868
/>From Sam Goldwasser’s RepairFAQ: where to find use-
ful parts by grubbing only junk.

Robot Maxamilian 203088 
/>Billed as “A website dedicated to showing others how to
build their own android robots.” Very good informa-

tion on mechanics and animatronics, and includes a
parts list with estimated costs.

Robot Room 202076
/>By the author of Robot Building for Beginners; provides
extra projects, tips, techniques, resources and links,
and an errata for the book.
Robotics for Sculptors 203144
/>Links for sculptors interesting in integrating their art
with machine control (such as 3D routers).

Robotics Frequently Asked
Questions List 202097
/>From the Web site: “This is the Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ) list for the internet robotics
newsgroups comp.robotics.misc and comp.robotics
.research. This list provides a resource of answers to
commonly (and some uncommonly) asked questions
regarding robotic systems, organizations, periodicals,
and pointers to numerous other resources on the
net.”
This FAQ is rather old (1996 is the latest revision at this
time of this writing). Most of the information contained
within it is out-of-date.

Robotics Mini-FAQ for Beginners 202029
/>mini_faq.html
Robotics and engineering instructor John Piccirillo
() offers us the Mini-FAQ, which he
keeps updated on a fairly regular basis. A great source

of information for getting started.

Robotics Universe  202332

 />Online support site for my robotics books, including
the one you’re reading now.

RobotsLife.com 203471
/>According to the Web site, RobotsLife.com has a unique
mission: to “help people understand what’s happening
with these electronic creatures.” Includes news and
links.

Sharp Sensor Hack for Analog
Distance Measurement 202475
/>robot/sharp-hack.html
Reengineering a Sharp GPIU5 infrared detector mod-
ule to determine distance.

Tech Toys Today  203138
/>Tech Toys Today is a free informational site hosted by
amateur robotics enthusiast and book author Dennis
Clark. There are a number of very handy advanced-
beginner and intermediate-level robotics projects,
including:
• Serial PWM chip
• Serial compass
• Serial servo controller
• PIC-based IRPD (infrared proximity detector)


Technical Guide to Building
Fighting Robots 202299
/>Several useful and insightful articles on intermediate
and advanced robot-building techniques by Paul Hills.
Examples include:
• Making a high-power servo-theory and circuits
• “The physics of axe weapons”
• Using DC motors in fighting robots
Fairly technical and in-depth.

Trains.com 202395
/>internet-informational
197
All aboard trains. Trains.com is a one-stop shop for
model trains of all gauges. Included are links, articles,
how-tos, product reviews, and more. The site is the cen-
terpiece of specialty magazines Model Railroader,
Trains, Classic Toy Trains, and Garden Railways and
Classic Trains, and there are links to these publications.
Triboelectric Charging of
Common Objects 202668
:8080/~jones/
demos/charging.html
All about triboelectric charging (causing static electric-
ity) of various common materials.

Twysted Pair 203272
/>Electronics how-to and theory. Says the site: “Tools to
help you work with resistors, capacitors, inductors,
FETs, transformers, diodes, transistors, digital logic,

TTL, and CMOS devices.”

indexed on the Web page, but are for viewing at the
indicated reading room.

Walt Noon’s Show Design 204157
/>Overview of mechanical animations for special events
and promotions.
xInternet-Links
Link pages lead you to other sites on the Web. Most
such pages have links that are categorized by subject,
and others are a kind of specialized search engine for
technical subjects. The listings that follow are but a
small selection of link pages, and they were selected for
their relevancy to robotics.
SEE ALSO: INTERNET-SEARCH.
ArtsAndCrafts.co.uk 203189
/>Here, you’ll find a links directory for arts and crafts in
the U.K.

Bowden’s Hobby Circuits 202932
/>homepages/Bill_Bowden/
Site includes over 100 circuit diagrams, as well as links
to related sites, commercial kits and projects, news-
groups, and educational areas.

Chris Hillman’s
Robotics/Animatronics/SPFX links 202053
/>Very extensive set of links to Web pages about robotics,
animatronics, and mechanical special effects (materials

and providers).

internet-informational
198
One of several helpful pages at Twysted Pair.
United States Library of Congress 203281
/>The U.S. Library of Congress is the world’s largest
library. Use it to research just about anything, including
the history of robotics. While much of the material is
viewable (or at least indexed) on the Web site, serious
research requires that you visit Washington D.C. Of
course, books cataloged by the Library of Congress are
Craft Site Directory 203531
/>Categorized links to various craft-oriented Web sites,
large and small. Categories include woodworking, gen-
eral crafts, metal crafts, and supplies.

DMOZ Open Directory Project-AI 202439
/>Open Directory Project for artificial intelligence links.

DMOZ Open Directory
Project-AI Robotics 202433
/>Artificial_Intelligence/Robotics/
Open Directory Project for artificial intelligence and
robotics.

DMOZ Open Directory
Project-Artificial Life 202438
/>Open Directory Project for artificial life.


DMOZ Open Directory
Project-Electronics 202442
/>Open Directory Project for electronics.

DMOZ Open Directory
Project-Embedded Hardware 202440
/>Open Directory Project for embedded hardware (e.g.,
microcontrollers or single board computers).

internet-links
199
Links from Chris Hillman
One of many links pages from the Open
Directory Project pages.
DMOZ Open Directory
Project-Home Automation 202436
/>Open Directory Project for home automation topics.

DMOZ Open Directory
Project-Instruments and Supplies 202443
/>Instruments_and_Supplies/
Open Directory Project for lab and scientific instru-
ments and supplies.

DMOZ Open Directory
Project-Materials 202441
/>Open Directory Project for various types of materials,
such as polymers and metals.

DMOZ Open Directory

Project-Programming 202437
/>Open Directory Project for programming topics.

DMOZ Open Directory
Project-Robotics 202434
/>Open Directory Project for general robotics.

DMOZ Open Directory
Project-Speech Technology 202435
/>Open Directory Project for speech technology, both
recognition and synthesis.

Dontronics: PIC List 204117
/>Don McKenzie’s listing of useful PIC sites.
ePanorama.net 202647
/>Basically, a big huge links page to a variety of electron-
ics topics, including this laundry list of subjects near
and dear to any robot builder:
• Bar code technology
• Basics
• Books
• Cabling
• PCB design and making
• Component dealers
• Data communications
• GPS
• IC pinouts
• IR remote control
• Laser
• Motor control

• Optics
• Optoelectronics
• Power supplies
• Prototyping
• Remote control
• Repair information
• Robotics
• Soldering
• Wiring information

Global Sources 204037
/>Intended for importers and exporters, Global Sources
provides thousands of links to manufacturers, distribu-
tors, and wholesalers for toys/games/hobbies, elec-
tronic components (active, passive, and electromechan-
ical), industrial machines and supplies, and many other
topics.
Hero MegaLinks 202217
/>Once upon a time, there was a robot named HERO.
Links to friends of HERO are listed on this fan page.

IndustryLink.com 204183
/>Over 1,000 companies, by categories. Includes cate-
gories for Electronics, Machine Tools, Metals, Plastics &
Polymers, and Wireless.

Internet FAQ Archives 202431
/>FAQs (frequently asked questions) of all colors and
descriptions.


internet-links
200
Macintosh Robotics Resource List 203080
/>maclist.shtml
Links . . . for using the Macintosh to program robots.
Somewhat unique, as (for whatever reasons) the PC
dominates the field of amateur robotics.

internet-links
201
Robot Shapes, Styles, and Sizes
Amateur robots come in all sizes, from no larger than a
deck of cards, to well over the size of a refrigerator. Most
are on the smaller end of this scale, with robots weighing in
at 2 to 10 pounds.
Robots come in a variety of shapes. The shape is dictated
mainly by the internal components that make up the
machine and also by the intended application. Most ’bot
designs fall into one of the following categories:
• Turtle. Turtle robots are simple and compact, designed
primarily for “tabletop robotics.” Turtlebots get their name
because their body somewhat resembles the shell of a
turtle and also from early programming, with Logo turtle
graphics, which was adapted for robotics use in the
1970s.
• Miniature vehicle. These are small automatons with
wheels or tracks. In hobby robotics, they are often built
using odds and ends like used compact discs, extra
LEGO parts, or the chassis of a radio-controlled car.
LEGO robots fit this category.

• Rover. Any of a larger group of rolling or tracked robots
designed for applications that require some horsepower,
such as vacuuming the floor.
• Walker. A walking robot uses legs, not wheels or tracks, to move about. Most walker
’bots have six legs, like an insect, as the six legs provide excellent support and balance.
• Arms. Arm designs are used by themselves in stationary robots or can be attached to a
mobile robot.
• Android. Android robots are specifically modeled after the human form: a head, torso,
two legs, and possibly one or two arms.
What Happened to About.com Listings?
Knew you’d ask. You may know of About.com, a gigantic links site. About.com is divided
into many different categories, including hobbies, art, robots, artificial intelligence, and
other relevant sections, and is maintained by compensated “guides” who troll the Internet
looking for links and other resources.
About.com is not listed in this book, despite the number and usefulness of its resource
listings, because—quite simply—they are pop-up fiends. Visiting an About.com listing can
be sheer hell, with three and sometimes four pop-up windows appearing. After trying to
include some of their resources for this book, I decided I had had enough.
Feel free to investigate About.com on your own. But be prepared to close a lot of pop-
up windows as you go.
A “turtle-size” desktop robot.
Photo Jim Frye, Lynxmotion.
A walking robot. Photo Jim
Frye, Lynxmotion.
Meccano Sources 202309
/>mecsou.html
Where to get Meccano (Erector Set) kits and parts.

R/C Web Directory Index 202165
/>Where to find R/C information, parts, and manufactur-

ers on the Web. The site is maintained by Tower
Hobbies, a major online R/C retailer.

RepairFAQ: Sam’s Neat, Nifty,
and Handy Bookmarks 202869
/>From Sam Goldwasser’s RepairFAQ: awholelottalinks.

RoboMenu 202407
/>Gallery of robots from all over the world.
SEE ALSO:
/>
Robot Directory, The 203461
/>Robot showcase. Robots are listed by category, such as
flying, walking, or wheeled.

Robotica.pagina.nl 202328

Robotics links. Some are to pages in Dutch.

Roger’s Embedded
Microcontrollers Home Page 202938
/>Land o’ links for microcontrollers.

Slashdot.org  204020
/>Billing itself as “News for Nerds,” Slashdot is a premier
hangout spot for news and views regarding the high-
tech world. See the listing under Internet-Bulletin
Board/Mailing List.

internet-links

202
Slashdot: “News for Nerds.”
Woodworker Online 203220
/>Woodworker Online provides links and resources for
the home woodworking enthusiast. Links are organized
by type.
xInternet-Personal Web
Page
The Internet lets you show off what you’ve done and
share with others your discoveries, projects, plans, and
objectives. This section provides numerous personal
Web pages of robotics and electronics experimenters.
Most contain photos of the owners’ projects, as well as
construction notes or diaries. And many provide
schematics, programming code, and other practical
examples.
SEE ALSO:
Internet-Informational: More sharing of
ideas
Internet-Plans & Guides: More sharing of
schematics and how-tos
LEGO (various) : Sharing of LEGO creations
Programming-Examples: Programming code
you can try
Alan E. Kilian Home Page 202044
/>Alan let’s us examine a large assortment of his robotics
and electronics projects. Highlights include:
• Trippy the robot
• Paper about range finding
• PIC-SERVO software

• PIC 12C509 experiments
• Tryclops and Trippy ranger experiments
See also Twin Cities Robotics Group:
/>
Alex Brown’s Robotics Page 202003
/>Web page of robot builder Alex Brown, who provides
details of several of his projects and writings, including:
• Snuffy firefighting robot-winner of Trinity 2001/sen-
ior division
• Ebo-plans and explanation of building small turtle
robot
• PID-informational page on PID-based control equa-
tions

Al’s Robotics 203718
/>Gallery of Al’s ’bots, including EVO (BEAM robot),
Psycho Mantis, and KTX1, a small PIC-based mobile
robot. The site also includes a number of useful begin-
ner tutorials on robotics and electronics:
• Tutorial for hacking/modifying servos for continu-
ous motion
• General information on sensors
• LM339 Comparator IC

Aquabots 202224
/>8281/aquabots.html
Descriptions and pictures of a school of aquatic robots.
Also some land-based BEAM robots.
Arvid Animatronics 203056
/>tml

All about Arvid, a homebuilt animatronic creature. The
projected was created for a special effects class for the
Academy of Art in San Francisco, Calif.

Atomic Zombie  203291
/>The Web page of BioHazard, RoadKill, and D. J.
Dogster at Atomic Zombie, all of whom are into cutting-
internet-personal web page
203
Beginnings of The Sentinel, with hacked-up
General Motors differential. Courtesy Brad and
Devon Graham.
A CAD drawing of AtomicZombie’s The
Sentinel. Courtesy Brad and Devon Graham.
edge robotics. Nicely done personal Web page of a per-
son who knows how to wield a mean blowtorch.

BEAM Hexapod 203009
/>A relatively heavy-duty BEAM walking robot. Circuit
example and construction pictures.

BEAM Robotics 202376
/>This is the main site to Mark Tilden’s LANL
(Nonproliferation and International Security) page.
Mark is responsible for the BEAM concept, and here we
see his philosophy of BEAM—though in fairly typical
Tilden—speak: “The idea is to improve robo-genetic
stock through stratified competition and have an inter-
esting time in the process.” I think he means scientists
just want to have fun.

You’ll also find links to other Web sites, where to go for
more information, and news of upcoming BEAM com-
petitions.

Ben’s RCX Robots 203110
/>About Ben’s LEGO Mindstorms robots, including
Micro Rover, a tiny robot with differential steering and
a single front bumper, and Miniature R2-D2.

BiPed Robot  203035
/>Alex has gone and built himself a bipedal (two-legged)
walking robot that exhibits dynamic balance. Operated
by aircraft servos. Watch the MPEG movies to see the
machine in action.
The Web site provides hardware and software design
overview, including a 3D exploded view of the robot’s
parts. Notice the two servos in the ankles of both legs;
they are critical in allowing the robot to balance.

Bob Greiner’s Lost in Space
B9 Robot Project 203404
/>Bob’s Lost in Space Robot B9. Very detailed photo-
graphs and step-by-step building diary makes this one a
great read.

BoneyNet 204052
/>Home of MABLE, a robot built for a final-year univer-
sity project, PIC info, and more interesting stuff.

Chip Shults Home Page  203039

/>Home page of robotics and automation expert Charles
(Chip) W. Shults III. Examples, how-tos, history of
robots and artificial intelligence.
Check out a custom-made “brain chip” that implements
a simple Braitenberg vehicle at:
/>
Chris Renton: Fred  202058
/>fred/index.htm
Fred means “Free Roaming Electronic Dream.” It’s
Chris Renton’s version of a personal robot he made
from parts collected from the local Dick Smith’s and
internet-personal web page
204
Information about Fred at Chris Renton’s Web
page.
other sources. Plenty of circuit designs, plans, theory of
operation, and even printed circuit board layouts. This
one’s A+.

Creaturoides 202323
/>Gallery and descriptions of several robotics designs.
Web pages are in Spanish.

Dale’s Homemade Robots 202864
/>Some of Dale’s robots include the Suckmaster II vac-
uum ’bot. Some well-made stuff here.

Daniel Livingston-B9 Today 203405
/>News and diary of Daniel’s Robot B9 (from Lost in
Space). Done in a USA Today newspaper motif. A fun

read.

Dizzy-An Aware Kind of Robot 202464
/>Parts, plans, and kit (you can order it from The
Netherlands from the site). Some interesting ideas.
DreamDroid Robotics 202329
/>As said by the Web site: “DreamDroid Robotics is dedi-
cated to research and implementation of various
robotic applications. In here you will find information
on all the projects, competitions, and more. We believe
that robots have a future in areas such as autonomous
artificial intelligence driven robots, combat robotics,
personal and entertainment robots.”

E-Bot: The Educational Robot  202276
/>Says the Web site: “The E-Bot is a bare-bones educa-
tional robot with lots of room for expandability. It is a
variation of the B-Bot idea developed by Marvin Green
and Cricket by Henry Arnold, modified to use a PIC
16C66 microcontroller and with a built-in software
package. It is part of an introductory robotics course
being developed for the Robotics Society of Southern
California.”
Extensive documentation (in Adobe Acrobat PDF for-
mat), development details, circuit examples, and soft-
ware examples are provided by the author, Arthur Ed
LeBouthillier.

Forbidden-planet.org 202769
/>Fan site for the movie Forbidden Planet.


Frank Scott’s Hexapod Robots 203755

Hexapod robots: pictures, descriptions, parts lists, and
background information.

internet-personal web page
205
Robot B-9 Journal.
Dave Novick’s Robots 203756
/>Check out Dave’s RoboBug walking robots.

G-Bot 203406
/>Another homemade Robot B9 (from Lost in Space
fame). This one is quite good.

Greg’s Robots 203087
/>Greg’s projects include a Nerf Missile Launcher.

Havinga Software Robot Pages 203720
/>Projects include autonomous robot Snuf, Bi-Ped Robot,
and video capture and pattern recognition.

Hioxz Robotics 203000
/>Web page of “Hioxz from the Netherlands, a student
very busy with robotics.”
Goodly number of robot project descriptions, some
with schematics.

Imaginerobots.com  202657

/>Danh Trinh’s ever-most-excellent repository of robotic
creations. Danh builds some of the best robots I’ve seen
on the Web; check out his Robot Bug hexapod, which
he built from scratch using plastic parts created with his
desktop CNC machine (he uses a retrofitted Sherline
desktop mill). A particular interest of Danh’s is aerial
robotics.

Jeff’s Robots-Robot Menagerie 202655
/>Robots by Jeff Kroll. Nice construction pictures.

Karl Lunt, Author 203465
/>Karl is the author of Build Your Own Robot! (AK Peters),
and he wrote a long-running column in Nuts & Volts
magazine on robotics. Be sure to check out Karl’s sbasic
and tiny6th compilers for the Motorola HC11/12
microcontrollers.

Ken Boone’s Robotic Home Page 203416
/>Ken’s been building robots since the mid-1980s, and he
discusses his creations on this Web page.

Mark’s B9 Robot Resources 203408
/>Where to find parts, plans, and help for building your
own Robot B9 of Lost in Space fame.
MHEX-My Six-Legged Walking Robot
202971
/>Very nicely done 12-servo hexapod, created out of
machined aluminum.


Micro Robots 204079
/>Examples of walking and rolling robots, circuits, and
programming code. Mostly in Spanish, with some in
English.

Murray McKay 202336
/>Murray is a robot builder, and he shares with us his
designs and how-to tutorials. Included for such robots
as Weevil and Aardvark are schematics, example pro-
grams, and descriptions. See also his page on construct-
ing an infrared proximity detector.

internet-personal web page
206