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Best Books on Robotics

They're coming; the machines that is, and before we know it, our own brains might be obsolete. Unless, of course, we read these best books on robotics to stay ahead of the curb.

By Salvador LorenzPublished 6 years ago 6 min read
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When science fiction blurs with modern technology, that's when you receive the keys to the future; something as worthwhile and as revolutionary as the lightbulb and electricity itself: robotics. The next step in our technological evolution will be the enhancements in artificial intelligence, of course, but robotics in of itself seems to be completely ignored by many, mainly for its slow decline in popularity, when the realities behind super-intelligent robotics are slim to none.

Yet, with products like the in-home robot Kuri, in addition to advances of robotics in business, the obvious need for more and unique examinations into robotics tech is a necessity that can be solved through unraveling the best books on robotics. They can either showcase the possibilities in building, innovations of the future, and better ways in understanding the tech itself, which can be a daunting subject in of itself. The point is: robotics might be the key to our future, but getting there will take great deals of research and advancements in the field. Let's just see how far we've come.

Enlightening readers on a variety of concepts surrounding the innards of automata and mechanical operations, Martin Ford's wonderful Rise of the Robots isn't just a small taste of what to expect for the future, it also details in heavy amounts the very role of information and how the improvements on technology will only be furthered dramatically into the next couple of years.

The work was published in 2016, so it's one of the most recent among best books on robotics, and serves as one of the most quintessential in not only looking at the now, but also into the examination of what's to come, like what jobs robots will take first.

This is more of the behemoth of all robotics literature. You want to know the ins, outs, and all-arounds of robotics engineering and the mechanics that go into it, this hefty handbook is your best friend.

Written and edited by a variety of experts in the field, The Springer Handbook of Robotics is obviously among the best books on robotics for enlisting every possible piece of information you may need on the subject, from artificial intelligence to the simple research and development behind the entire science.

Understanding the field of robotics is far from an easy task, but even then drawing on a systematic summary for it can be daunting, as well. Fortunately, McKinnon's Robotics is one of the best books on robotics, and not because of its name.

The book literally details everything from the 3 Rules and first robots, to the future of construction methods, materials, and cognitive capabilities. Robot technology, as according to the author, is reaching a point of necessity in software development and cloud optimizations, for which make this work a must-read in understanding the technology much more fluidly.

Over three years old, published in 2015, Making Simple Robots is a rather eccentric take among the best books on robotics, for it takes on the opinion that all are able to create their own robots, which may or may not be true, but with the book I'd beg to differ.

Kathy Ceceri's insightful look not only diagnoses building and enhancing, but also programming and optimization. You'll be able to make Vibrobots, Fibrebots, solar beam Wobbleboats, and far more. That's what makes this eccentric take on robotics technology a must-have, even for those simply looking for info on the industry.

This book looks more at the literal movements of tech and the possibilities behind what is more often referred to as autonomous engineering. These would be in things such as robotic vacuums, or even the Mars Pathfinder.

Autonomous Mobile Robots, the second edition represented above, gives readers a deep look and analyzation of computer vision, information theory, localization, and kinematics, as only a few of the rather broad elements this book employs. It's among the best books on robotics for showcasing the optimizable movements now being employed by techies and engineers alike.

One thing that most of the other best books on robotics tend to ignore is the actual controlling, or mathematical computations inherent in robotics production. This awesome book published back in 2005 takes a deep dive into the areas of planning, control, kinematics, arrangements, and more.

I'd recommend this work of amazing and immense information for those already attuned to the knowledge, or at least have a head for robotics in the first place. If you don't know what rigid motions and homogenous transformation means to the field of robotics, or can't even comprehend the first thing about the differences in geometric non-linear control to that of vision-based control, well than maybe you should grab Robot Modeling and Control. Even if you aren't into robotics, it's sure to enlighten you on the beauty of this science.

Interestingly, robots aren't solely grounded in mechanics and autonomous labor, as most tend to believe. Artificial intelligence itself goes hand in hand with the field of robotics, which is why the Hughes' Robot Programming is absolute killer in the best books on robotics.

Readers will get to see a redefined image of robotics and their innards. You'll get a better examination of the methods in programming, designing, and optimization of these rather powerful machines. Additionally, readers will get a firsthand look at how Robot Scenario Visual Planning (RSVP) may be the next step in unearthing design optimizations for environmental research in robotics engineering.

Another piece of literary ingenuity that's titled with the very concept, Robotics by Dr. Klein is among the best books on robotics for simply detailing the long history behind it. This otherwise brief overview is more of a literal model into the area of future robotics and robotics projects, showing past and future uses of robots and the necessary upgrades needed in the long term.

The book also undergoes a look into the career paths and general research thus far on robotics, interestingly opting to look more at the actual robot than the human necessity. Personally, I feel Dr. Klein's book is perfect for beginners and those more interested in the trade, rather than the full fledged inner workings and building of the robots themselves.

Published back in 2005, Probabilistic Robotics still continues to serve as among the best books on robotics for pointing out an array of difficulties and concepts the have surrounded the field for years: perception and decision-making.

A little more of an advanced book on the innards of robotics research, this extensive text is a thought-provoking examination into probabilistic methods in robotics. This entails the control and perception of robotics, like pseudo code implementation, plus the book also goes into detail about these applications of localization and SLAM.

Robot Building for Beginners is among the best books on robotics simply for Cook's series of robotics texts becoming instant best sellers in the genre. Not everyone is, of course, building robots, but understanding how they are built and the ways in which they can be built all point to the importance of the technology (plus, how to make it better). David Cook says it best himself:

“I wrote this book because I love building robots. I want you to love building robots, too. It took me a while to learn about many of the tools and parts in amateur robotics."

The book goes into far depths of prototyping, engineering, and bodybuilding, for some, but obviously it remains among the most popular books for robotics and its research.

Don't have a clue about robotics at all? Well, to be fair, it is a rather deeply ingenious field in technology with a variety of moving parts, which is exactly why Branwyn's publication is among the best books on robotics, despite being a little outdated, given its 2003 release date.

So, you may not be trying to actually build a real robot yourself, but with this book you actually can. That being said, the Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robotics is a perfect balance of information on the necessary tools, structure, concepts, and the techniques inherent in robotics.

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About the Creator

Salvador Lorenz

Thinking in nodes of progress, futurism, science, culture, and existence. I experience life in a number of ways, pertaining to mathematical concepts mixed with rich flavors of art.

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