Robot Building for Beginners, 3rd Edition

“I wrote this book because I love building robots. I want you to love building robots, too. It took me a while to learn about many of the tools and parts in amateur robotics. Perhaps by writing about my experiences, I can give you a head start.”

–David Cook

Robot Building for Beginners, Third Edition provides basic, practical knowledge on getting started in amateur robotics. There is a mix of content: from serious reference tables and descriptions to personal stories and humorous bits.

The robot described and built in this book is battery powered and about the size of a lunch box. It is autonomous; that is, it isn’t remote controlled.

The book is broken up into small chapters, suitable for bedtime (or bathroom) reading.

The characteristics and purposes of each major component (resistor, transistor, wire, and motor) are described, followed by a hands-on experiment to demonstrate. Not only does this help the reader to understand a particular piece, but it also prepares them with processes to learn new parts on their own. An appendix offers an introduction to 3D printing and parts of the robot can, as an alternative, be “printed” using a 3D printer.

The master project of the book is a simple, entertaining, line-following robot.

What you’ll learn

Electronics and very light machining:

• Wires
• Multimeters
• Batteries
• Breadboards
• Resistors
• LEDs
• Comparator chip
• The basics of 3D printing
• Motors
• Wheels
• Coupler
• Soldering
• Debugging

Who this book is for

This book is for adults who have dreamed of building robots since they were kids. This book is also for older kids who dream of building robots when they become adults.

No background knowledge is necessary. Anyone with desire and intelligence should be comfortable with the tools, tricks, and parts to build.

Because the hobby involves soldering, electricity, light machining, and some cash, the writing is targeted more towards individuals with those capabilities.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Welcome Robot Inventor!
Chapter 2. Where to Obtain Tools and Parts
Chapter 3. Safety
Chapter 4. Digital Multimeter
Chapter 5. Numbers and Units
Chapter 6. Robot Line-Following
Chapter 7. Nine-Volt Batteries
Chapter 8. Clips and Test Leads
Chapter 9. Resistors
Chapter 10. LEDs
Chapter 11. Power On!
Chapter 12. Solderless Prototyping
Chapter 13. Solderless Breadboard Setup
Chapter 14. Variable Resistors
Chapter 15. Comparator
Chapter 16. Transistor Switches
Chapter 17. DC Motors
Chapter 18. Adding Gearhead Motors
Chapter 19. Wheels
Chapter 20. Coupler
Chapter 21. Soldering Equipment
Chapter 22. Soldering and Connecting
Chapter 23. The Motherboard
Chapter 24. Body Building
Chapter 25. Launching the Line-Follower
Chapter 26. Smoother, Smaller, Cheaper
Chapter 27. Encore
Appendix A: Leftovers
Appendix B: 3D Printing