The Robot Book
Build & Control 20 Electric Gizmos, Moving Machines, and Hacked Toys
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- ¥1,500
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- ¥1,500
Publisher Description
Drones, RC cars, artificial limbs, Roombas—the robots have arrived! Don't you want your own? Author and physics teacher Bobby Mercer will show you how to turn common household objects and repurposed materials into 20 easy-to-build robots for little or no cost. Turn a toothbrush, an old cell phone or pager, and scrap wire into a Brush Bot, or hack a toy car to hotwire a Not-So-Remote Bot. A small electric fan, several craft sticks, and rubber bands make a Fan-Tastic Dancing Machine, and drinking straws, string, tape, and glue can be used to construct a working model of the human hand.
Every hands-on project contains a materials list and detailed step-by-step instructions with photos for easy assembly. Mercer also explains the science and technology behind each robot, including concepts such as friction, weight and mass, center of gravity, kinetic and potential energy, electric circuitry, DC vs. AC current, and more. These projects are also perfect for science fairs or design competitions.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This addition to the Science in Motion series takes readers through the basics of creating their own robots, often repurposing parts and motors from old toys, outdated cell phones, and more (motorized toothbrushes form the basis for several projects in a section devoted to "vibrational robots"). Step-by-step instructions, b&w photographs, and materials lists make each project manageable and clear, while "Robot Science" sections illuminate the mechanics underlying them ("You pulling on a string represents a muscle pulling on a tendon," Mercer explains after readers have created an articulated humanoid hand using only cardboard, drinking straws, and string). It's a solid starting point for readers with an interest in circuitry or engineering or who simply like to take things apart to see how they work. Ages 9 up.
