Robotic Explorations: A Hands-On Introduction to Engineering

Written by one of the founders of the famous MIT "6270" Lego Robotic design Competition, Robotic Explorations: A Hands-On Introduction to Engineering engages students in hands-on robot building, emphasizing technological systems of all kinds—electrical, mechanical, and computational. A first text for students as well as reference for practitioners, the book provides all the practical information needed to create an introductory freshman-level laboratory class. This versatile and pioneering book sparks the imagination and leads the reader into many thought-provoking and challenging engineering situations.

Robotic Explorations includes:

• An introduction to the field of engineering design, accessible to students at multiple undergraduate levels, with concepts relevant to electrical, mechanical, and software systems.
• Principles of mechanical design, illustrated using the catalog of parts available in the LEGO Technic® system.
• Step-by-step instructions for building "My First Robot," a tutorial for beginning explorations of control.
• Applications of various control strategies including traditional proportional/derivative feedback, behavioral robotics, and hierarchical control.
• Designs and application ideas for robotic sensors.
• Project guidelines for designing robot contests to facilitate students' learning of particular engineering concepts.
• Documentation for using educational robotics technology developed at MIT—Handy Board control hardware and Interactive C software.