Robot Building for Dummies or The Sims 2 Freetime

Robot Building for Dummies

Author: Roger Arrick

Discover what robots can do and how they work

Find out how to build your own robot and program it to perform tasks

Ready to enter the robot world? This book is your passport! It walks you through building your very own little metal assistant from a kit, dressing it up, giving it a brain, programming it to do things, even making it talk. Along the way, you’ll gather some tidbits about robot history, enthusiasts’ groups, and more.

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English

• "Get in, get out" information

• Icons and other navigational aids

• Tear-out cheat sheet

• Top ten lists

• A dash of humor and fun

Table of Contents:

	Introduction	1
	About This Book	1
	Conventions Used in This Book	1
	What You're Not to Read	2
	Foolish Assumptions	2
	How This Book Is Organized	3
	Icons Used in This Book	5
	Where to Go from Here	6
Part I	Getting Started with Robotics	7
Chapter 1	So, You Want to Build a Robot?	9
	The Robotics Revolution	10
	Robot Uses	12
Chapter 2	Plotting a Path	15
	Starting with a Kit	15
	Selecting a Robot Kit	16
	Moving Up to Robot Construction Sets	24
	Building a Robot from Scratch	25
	Economics and Time Considerations	28
Chapter 3	Building Your First Robot	31
	Robot Kit to the Rescue	31
	On Your Mark, Get Set	32
	Let the Building Begin	36
	Testing and Troubleshooting	38
	Soccer Jr. in Action	40
	Learning Your Robot Chops	42
	Baby Robot Steps	48
Part II	Programmable Robot Prep	49
Chapter 4	Setting Up Your Robot Workshop	51
	Creating an Ideal Work Area	51
	Getting Organized	53
	Tool Time	54
	How to Solder	62
	Anti-Static Considerations: Can't Touch This!	66
	A Robot Library	68
Chapter 5	The Nuts and Bolts of Robot Building	71
	Pieces and Parts	71
	What's It All Made Of?	72
	Nuts and Bolts	74
	Motors for Locomotion	75
	Making Sense of Sensors	82
	Electronics Primer	83
	Power to the Robots	94
Chapter 6	A Programming Primer	99
	Software and Computers	99
	Anatomy of a Program	102
	Useful Code Snippets	105
	Useful Subroutines	107
	Okay, I Programmed ... Now What?	110
Part III	Building a Programmable Robot	111
Chapter 7	Preparing to Build a Programmable Robot	113
	Robot Components Overview	114
	Assembly Process Overview	117
	Organizing and Prepping the Parts	118
	To Paint or Not to Paint?	120
Chapter 8	From Whiskers to Wheels	123
	Starting with Whiskers	123
	Attaching the Drive Motor	125
	Dealing with Wheels	126
Chapter 9	If I Only Had a Brain	133
	Adding the Controller	133
	Finishing Touches	138
	Turning A Robot On	139
Chapter 10	Introducing Your Robot to Your Computer	141
	Working with the Basic Stamp Editor	141
	Running the Built-In Programs	146
	Troubleshooting	150
Part IV	Augmenting Your Programmable Robot	155
Chapter 11	Expanding Your Robot's Universe	157
	Adding Rear Whiskers	157
	Adding an Expansion Board	165
	Building a Motorized Head	172
	Accessorizing	177
Chapter 12	Making Your Robot See the Light	185
	Making Sense of Light Sensors	185
	Pulling Together the Light-Sensing Hardware	187
	Writing the Software That Interprets the Hardware	195
	Putting Your Sensor to Work: Real-World Applications	198
	More Light Sensor Ideas	205
Chapter 13	Some Like It Hot	209
	Sensational Temperature Sensors	209
	Building the Temperature-Sensor System	212
	The Brains of the Beast: The Software	218
	Turning Up the Heat: Real-World Applications	222
Chapter 14	Halt! Who Goes There?	233
	Detecting Motion: An Overview	233
	Building the Motion-Detector System	235
	The Brains of the Beast: The Software	244
	Real-World Applications	247
Chapter 15	Yakety-Yak: Adding Speech to Your Robot	251
	Straight Talk about Speech Technology	252
	Building a Speech System	255
	Creating Sound Software	263
	Building Your Robot's Vocabulary	268
	Putting Speech to Work	268
	Talking about Robots	270
Chapter 16	I See You	271
	All about Video Systems	271
	Pretesting	281
	Mounting a Board Camera	282
	Creating a Tethered Video System	289
	Creating a Wireless Video System	294
	Wireless Data Links	297
	Camera Positioning	298
	Applications Using the Video System	302
	A Robot's Vision	304
Chapter 17	Controlling Your Robot from Afar	305
	All about Remote Control	305
	The Lowdown on RC Systems	307
	Purchasing an RC System	311
	Installing an RC System	312
	Half and Half: RC and Autonomous Behavior	322
Part V	The Part of Tens	327
Chapter 18	Ten Excellent Parts Suppliers	329
	Tower Hobbies	329
	Supercircuits	330
	Mouser Electronics	330
	Parallax	331
	McMaster-Carr	332
	Stock Drive Products	332
	Radio Shack	333
	80/20	334
	Edmund Scientific	334
	Parts Suppliers a la Carte	335
Chapter 19	Ten Safety Pointers	339
	Cut Away from Your Body	339
	Avoid the Pinch Points	339
	Slipping Is Bad	340
	Soldering Pitfalls	340
	Hot Glue Follies	340
	Super Glue on You	341
	Dancing around the Drill	341
	AC Stands for Are You Crazy!	341
	Discharging Capacitors	342
	Clipping Nippers	342
	Index	343

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The Sims 2 Freetime: Prima Official Game Guide

Author: Greg Kramer

• Five all-new careers exposed, including cool career objects!
• Immerse your Sims in ten engrossing hobbies
• All new Talent Badges revealed
• Dream big. Earn rewards. Learn how inside!