Robotics Programming 101

Learn exactly what you need to know to program a PC Robot with Windows or Linux!

This book teaches you how to use a solid reliable OPEN SOURCE ROBOTICS API!. This API is written in Java 1.6, and has example programming scripts in Groovy 1.7. Upgraded to Java7 as soon as it's released!!!

This book will also contain examples for the BASIC Stamp or Arduino Micro-Controller.

All of my robots use the code from this book to move, sense, see, hear, navigate and more...

- "I wish I had a book like this when I started programming my robots!" - Scott Preston

Order your copy today to start programming robots!

Quick Start - A super quick guide to getting started to using the API from your PC. NO ROBOT REQUIRED!
PC Set-Up - Installing software and packages for your PC Robotics Platform.
Arduino & Basic Stamp Programs - All the latest and greatest programs to interface with a wide selection of sensors.
Micro-Controller Interfacing - Serial communications and other interfacing techniques connecting your PC and your Micro-Controller.
Working with Servo Controllers - How implement various protocols for the latest servo controllers and coordinate those servos with your PC or own programs.
Speech - Text to Speech (TTS) and Speech Recognition. Teach your robot or PC to listen and speak.
Vision - Webcam image capture and basic recognition techniques. Teach your robot to see and react.
Other Cool Robot Hacks - Various useful programs for some of my robots.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this book different than "The Definitive Guide To Building Java Robots?"

This book is a much more streamlined and up-to-date. The Definitive Guide is a lot more in-depth and required more Java knowledge to get started. It was great for someone that had the time and wanted to know how the APIs worked, but not so much for someone that wanted to get started fast or did not know Java.

How is this book different than other robotics books?

This book gets to the meat of programming fast! You don't need to wait around to see how to do somehting, you skip right to the section you want to use and in some cases (Speech & Vision) you don't even need a robot.

How soon can I be programming robots?

It usually takes about 20 minuts to install all required software packages to get up and running, after that just run some test programs and your ready to program your own robot.

Where can I find the source code?

All source code is open source and will be made availible at Source Forge.

How much do I need to know about programming to use this book?

You just need to be basically familiar with some of the programming of micro-controllers and a scripting language for the Java Virtual Machine.

Do I need to know Java to use this book?

No! You can use any language for the Java Virtual Machine. Groovy, JRuby (Ruby), Jython (Python), Scala, Clojure (LISP), and hundreds more...

Do I need a robot to use this book?

No! To use the speech and the vision APIs all you need is your computer with a microphone, speakers, and a web camera.

Where can I get a robot to program?

Please checkout the robots at Parallax and Lynxmotion.