Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics

Robotics contains elements of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science. One of the challenges in reading a robotics text or entering the field as a hobbyist is the variety of concepts and terminology one must know. This book, a “how things work” for the robotics field, provides about 400 brief articles explaining concepts from “acoustic proximity sensor” to “zooming.” Some entries are very short; “Guidance System,” for example, requires only two sentences and refers to other articles. A longer article like “Logic Gate” is a page and a half long, including a diagram and table. Most topics are technical, but some are philosophical, such as “Jungian World Theory.”

This well-written book is not an introduction to robotics–there is no “history” article, and no article titled “Robot” or “Robotics”–but it is likely to be a useful reference for students and hobbyists. Summing Up: Recommended. (Choice 2003-09-01)

This handy collection of straightforward, to-the-point definitions is exactly what robotics and artificial intelligence hobbyists need to get and stay up to speed with all new terms that have recently emerged in robotics and artificial intelligence.

Written by an award-winning electronics author, the Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics delivers 400 up-to-date, easy-to-read definitions that make even complex concepts understandable. Over 150 illustrations make the information accessible at a glance and extensive cross-referencing and a comprehensive bibliography facilitate further research.

Covering the very latest trends and developments and written with an eye toward future applications, this compact, no-fluff reference belongs on the desktop of every robotics, artificial intelligence, and electronics hobbyist.