Robotic Existentialism: The Art of Eric Joyner

In this follow-up to the 2008 art book Robots and Donuts, vintage toys are paired with pastries to create fascinatingly bizarre paintings.

This volume showcases San Francisco-based artist Eric Joyner’s newest and most impressive pieces–including The Horseshoe Bend, Daybreak, Movers and Shakers, and more. Much like the subjects of his paintings, Joyner’s artistic style is subtly nostalgic yet imaginatively unique. By juxtaposing familiar items with every day foods, he creates whimsical masterpieces that have the power to both comfort and inspire. Robotic Existentialism: The Art of Eric Joyner is a beautiful collection that entices the reader to stop, ponder the meaning of life, and perhaps savor a donut or two.

The New Cool: A Visionary Teacher, His FIRST Robotics Team, and the Ultimate Battle of Smarts

That Monday afternoon, in high-school gyms across America, kids were battling for the only glory American culture seems to want to dispense to the young these days: sports glory.  But at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California, in a gear-cluttered classroom, a different type of “cool” was brewing.  A physics teacher with a dream – the first public high-school teacher ever to win a MacArthur Genius Award — had rounded up a band of high-I.Q. students who wanted to put their technical know-how to work.  If you asked these brainiacs what the stakes were that first week of their project, they’d have told you it was all about winning a robotics competition – building the ultimate robot and prevailing in a machine-to-machine contest in front of 25,000 screaming fans at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.
 
But for their mentor, Amir Abo-Shaeer, much more hung in the balance.
 
The fact was, Amir had in mind a different vision for education, one based not on rote learning — on absorbing facts and figures — but on active creation.  In his mind’s eye, he saw an even more robust academy within Dos Pueblos that would make science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) cool again, and he knew he was poised on the edge of making that dream a reality.  All he needed to get the necessary funding was one flashy win – a triumph that would firmly put his Engineering Academy at Dos Pueblos on the map.  He imagined that one day there would be a nation filled with such academies, and a new popular veneration for STEM – a “new cool” – that would return America to its former innovative glory.
 
It was a dream shared by Dean Kamen, a modern-day inventing wizard – often-called “the Edison of his time” – who’d concocted the very same FIRST Robotics Competition that had lured the kids at Dos Pueblos.  Kamen had created FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) nearly twenty years prior.  And now, with a participant alumni base approaching a million strong, he felt that awareness was about to hit critical mass. 
 
But before the Dos Pueblos D’Penguineers could do their part in bringing a new cool to America, they’d have to vanquish an intimidating lineup of “super-teams”– high-school technology goliaths that hailed from engineering hot spots such as Silicon Valley, Massachusetts’ Route 128 technology corridor, and Michigan’s auto-design belt.  Some of these teams were so good that winning wasn’t just hoped for every year, it was expected.
 
In The New Cool, Neal Bascomb manages to make even those who know little about – or are vaguely suspicious of – technology care passionately about a team of kids questing after a different kind of glory.  In these kids’ heartaches and headaches – and yes, high-five triumphs — we glimpse the path not just to a new way of educating our youth but of honoring the crucial skills a society needs to prosper.  A new cool.

A Welder’s Handbook to Robotic Programming

If you are thinking about buying a robot, trying to learn how to program a robot, or teaching someone else to program and need a text book, then this book is definitely the one you are looking for. Welders that are learning how to program a robot will find everything that you need to get started programming an MIG welding robot. All of the secret tricks of the trade are here for the taking. This book should be useful to the owner, buyer, or potential buyer of a welding robot as well to the programmers of the welding robots. Both of these groups have a need for a book that does not seem to exist and it just seemed to make more sense for me to write one book instead of two. The first part of the book is geared more towards the owner/operators of weld shops that have a need of a robot and the rest is directed more towards the workers that are trying to learn how to program the robots. My hope is that both groups will find a use for the entire book but I’ll admit that there is going to be much more for the people that need to learn how to program the robots. Their need is much greater. I also hope that some of the curious souls that end up with this book in their hands for whatever reason, especially any of the younger generation of welders, that this book may get them interested enough for them to give serious consideration into becoming a robotic programmer. I’m also looking at the real possibility of this book being used in many of the training programs that are teaching robotic programming because there is no text book out there that they can use, at least until now. But whoever you are or for whatever reason that you have picked this book up, I hope it will give you a better understanding about robot programming and the growing need for robots and their programmers in the modern work place.

Robotics, AI and the Future of Law (Perspectives in Law, Business and Innovation)

Artificial intelligence and related technologies are changing both the law and the legal profession. In particular, technological advances in fields ranging from machine learning to more advanced robots, including sensors, virtual realities, algorithms, bots, drones, self-driving cars, and more sophisticated “human-like” robots are creating new and previously unimagined challenges for regulators. These advances also give rise to new opportunities for legal professionals to make efficiency gains in the delivery of legal services. With the exponential growth of such technologies, radical disruption seems likely to accelerate in the near future.

This collection brings together a series of contributions by leading scholars in the newly emerging field of artificial intelligence, robotics, and the law. The aim of the book is to enrich legal debates on the social meaning and impact of this type of technology.

The distinctive feature of the contributions presented in this edition is that they address the impact of these technological developments in a number of different fields of law and from the perspective of diverse jurisdictions. Moreover, the authors utilize insights from multiple related disciplines, in particular social theory and philosophy, in order to better understand and address the legal challenges created by AI. Therefore, the book will contribute to interdisciplinary debates on disruptive new AI technologies and the law.

1800 Mechanical Movements, Devices and Appliances (Dover Science Books)

A fascinating compendium of early-twentieth-century mechanical devices, this wide-ranging work covers a variety of applications. More than 1,800 engravings — ranging from simple diagrams to detailed cross-sections — illustrate the workings of each item, from simple hooks and levers to complex machinery used in steam, motive, hydraulic, air, and electric power, navigation, gearing, clocks, mining, construction, and more.
Compiled as a ready reference for inventors, students of mechanics, artisans, and other workers, this volume features only minimal text. Its true value lies in its wealth of illustrated information, offering the quickest and most satisfactory method of conveying the exact conditions of mechanical action and construction.

Arduino Robotics (Technology in Action)

This book will show you how to use your Arduino to control a variety of different robots, while providing step-by-step instructions on the entire robot building process. You’ll learn Arduino basics as well as the characteristics of different types of motors used in robotics. You also discover controller methods and failsafe methods, and learn how to apply them to your project. The book starts with basic robots and moves into more complex projects, including a GPS-enabled robot, a robotic lawn mower, a fighting bot, and even a DIY Segway-clone. Introduction to the Arduino and other components needed for robotics Learn how to build motor controllers Build bots from simple line-following and bump-sensor bots to more complex robots that can mow your lawn, do battle, or even take you for a ride What you’ll learn Basics of motor-control Basics of PCB design and fabrication R/C control and decoding Autonomous sensor guidance Frame building from various materials Instructions for a variety of robot designs Who this book is for Electronics and robotics hobbyists and DIY builders.

DK Eyewitness Books: Robot: Discover the Amazing World of Machines, from Robots That Play Chess to Systems T

Take a detailed look at the fascinating world of robots – from the earliest single-task machines to the advanced intelligence of robots with feelings. Young readers will be amazed to learn all that robots can do: perform delicate surgical operations, clean city sewers, work as museum tour guides, or even battle each other in combat. Find out how humans have created these mechanical minds and bodies.

Ultimate Make: Electronics Kit Bundle – Includes All 3 Electronic Component Kits and Make: Electronics (2nd ED) Book by Charles Platt – STEM Electronics Science Education Set for Beginners Teen-Adult

Ultimate Make: Electronics Kit Bundle – Includes the Full Set of 3 Electronics Kits & and Make: Electronics 2nd Edition Paperback Experiment Project Book by Charles Platt


Everything you need for a beginner to start learning basic electronic circuits with the best selling educational electronics book for 3 Years and counting, Make: Electronics. Our kits were designed from the ground up for the Make: Electronics book as we worked with the author, Charles Platt, directly to make our kits the perfect match for his experiments. ProTechTrader Kits are the only component packs approved by the author that covers all experiments in the book including the most interesting Chapter 5 experiments were you will learn to program a Arduino Uno R3 microcontroller to control other electronic circuits. Please Note some non-electronic components, such as a ordinary lemon and galvanized metal bracket could not be included with the kits.

The kits literally include 100s and 100s of parts that is too long to list all of them, but here are some to get you started: Resistors, Capacitors, Diodes, Transistors, Speakers, Soldering Iron, Solder, Breadboard, Printed Circuit Board, Integrated Circuits, Timers, Decade Counters, LEDs, Piezoelectric Element, Alkaline Batteries, Multimeter, Alligator clips, Test Leads, Arduino Uno Microcontroller, Hook-up Wire, Antenna Wire, Tactile Switches, Relayes, Fuses, Slide Switches, Toggle Switches, Potentiometers, Germanium Diode, and much much more!

All kits are hand assembled in the US were parts are individually bagged and labeled for convenient easy access. It is our goal to make sure you enjoy the experiments and have fun while learning electronics.

Includes our family business satisfaction guarantee. We will replace any defective parts, and provide excellent service and support on our kits and the experiments so you can rest assured help is just a e-mail or phone call away with us.

The Future of Leadership: Rise of Automation, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) our greatest existential threat?  Will AI take your Job? Is Privacy dead? Is Universal Basic Income a viable  strategy or just a temporary bandage? Will AI solve all our problems? Will it make us happier? We can’t put the genie back in the bottle once it’s out. If we don’t candidly answer the pertinent questions, we will only paint a false picture.

We are standing at a crucial and pivotal point in history. It’s time for diversity in AI. This unprecedented technology will affect society as a whole and we need individuals from diverse disciplines and backgrounds to join the discussion. The issues surrounding  AI can’t be left to a small group of scientists, technologists or business executives to address. Our future and our children’s future are at stake.

More than ever, we need leaders who will stand on integrity and who will put people first.

Do you want to take a glimpse into the future of leadership? The Future of Leadership: Rise of Automation, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence offers the most comprehensive view of what is taking place in the world of AI and emerging technologies, and gives valuable insights that will allow you to successfully navigate the tsunami of technology that is coming our way.

Learning Robotics Using Python: Design, simulate, program, and prototype an interactive autonomous mobile robot from scratch with the help of Python, ROS, and Open-CV!

Design, simulate, program, and prototype an interactive autonomous mobile robot from scratch with the help of Python, ROS, and Open-CV!

About This Book

  • Design, simulate, build and program an interactive autonomous mobile robot
  • Program Robot Operating System using Python
  • Get a grip on the hands-on guide to robotics for learning various robotics concepts and build an advanced robot from scratch

Who This Book Is For

If you are an engineer, a researcher, or a hobbyist, and you are interested in robotics and want to build your own robot, this book is for you. Readers are assumed to be new to robotics but should have experience with Python.

What You Will Learn

  • Understand the core concepts and terminologies of robotics
  • Create 2D and 3D drawings of robots using freeware such as LibreCAD and Blender
  • Simulate your robot using ROS and Gazebo
  • Build robot hardware from the requirements
  • Explore a diverse range of actuators and its interfacing
  • Interface various robotic sensors to robots
  • Set up and program OpenCV, OpenNI, and PCL to process 2D/3D visual data
  • Learn speech processing and synthesis using Python
  • Apply artificial intelligence to robots using Python
  • Build a robot control GUI using Qt and Python
  • Calibration and testing of robot

In Detail

Learning about robotics will become an increasingly essential skill as it becomes a ubiquitous part of life. Even though robotics is a complex subject, several other tools along with Python can help you design a project to create an easy-to-use interface.

Learning Robotics Using Python is an essential guide for creating an autonomous mobile robot using popular robotic software frameworks such as ROS using Python. It also discusses various robot software frameworks and how to go about coding the robot using Python and its framework. It concludes with creating a GUI-based application to control the robot using buttons and slides.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a clear idea of how to integrate and assemble all things into a robot and how to bundle the software package.