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LEGO Mindstorms robots can do more than you ever imagined! The secret: go beyond the built-in tools, and leverage the full power of Java -- the world's hottest programming language. Core LEGO Mindstorms shows you how, step-by-step -- as you build sophisticated robots and custom sensors that will amaze you. No matter what version of LEGO Mindstorms you own -- 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, even the USB version -- this book will take you farther than ever before. Brian Bagnall guides you through installing leJOS, a full-fledged Java Virtual Machine for the programmable RCX "brick" that gives LEGO robots their intelligence. Next, you'll master each key programming task step-by-step, with practical examples and photographs. You'll master behavior control programming, a simple but brilliant concept developed at MIT. Then, working from beautifully rendered 3-D plans, you'll walk through constructing five unique robots, each capable of increasingly powerful navigation. In later chapters, you'll walk through building and programming powerful custom sensors, including proximity sensors -- and even the "Holy Grail" of navigation sensors: the compass sensor. Bagnall concludes by introducing several powerful new techniques for advanced programmers.
From the Back Cover
- Complete 3-D plans for building five unique robots
- Advanced control techniques—including distance and compass sensors
- Behavior control programming, the breakthrough methodology invented at MIT
- For LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Invention System, versions 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0
Your LEGO Mindstorms robots can do more than you ever imagined. The secret: go beyond the built-in tools, and leverage the power of the Java platform—the world's hottest programming technology.
Core LEGO Mindstorms shows you how, step by step. Working from beautifully rendered 3-D plans, you'll construct five unique robots-each capable of increasingly powerful navigation. You'll build and program two powerful custom sensors-an accurate distance sensor and the "Holy Grail" of navigation sensors: the compass sensor.
Brian Bagnall, co-creator of the leJOS Java Virtual Machine for LEGO Mindstorms, starts with the absolute basics then teaches you sophisticated, never-before-published techniques for controlling LEGO Mindstorms robots. No matter what version of LEGO Mindstorms you own, this book will teach you how to build robots with remarkable intelligence and amazing power.
- Installing leJOS, the Java Virtual Machine designed for the LEGO Mindstorms RCX programmable controller
- Setting up your Java platform development environment for LEGO Mindstorms
- Programming rotation and custom sensors
- Using behavior control programming, the biologically inspired MIT breakthrough in robot control
- New techniques for improving navigation accuracy
- Gathering map data and transmitting it back to your computer
- For LEGO Mindstorms RIS versions 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0—including USB versions
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Customer Reviews
A brief history of Lego robotics is provided as is an overview of the Mindstorms sets and the differences between them. Then the various programming options for the RCX are examined, leading up to a guide to leJOS and its installation. A concise Java guide introduces the language. The rest of the book examines various robotics problems (sensors, navigation, behaviors etc.) through a number of projects.
Overall the book was much more than I had expected. If you are into Mindstorms, Java or Robotics this book has something for you.
The only problem I'm having is getting hold of the electronic components for the custom built sensors that I'm itching to add to my robots!
The book gives you enough elements of the Java language to make you immediately productive in using it with your Mindstorms kit, without including details about the language which would have made the book unnecessarily heavy. It won't make you a professional Java programmer, but it's not its goal.
From this foundation, Brian introduces you to some of the most powerful programming techniques aimed at robotics - like behavior control and navigation - using simple and clear examples.
The robots are nice and very well documented, and I have no doubt you will find them instructive and inspiring. And their code is well tested and ready to use.
Brian's style is very pleasant: he is able to always keep the your attention, never boring you explaining obvious concepts nor entering complex maters without the necessary gradualness. A touch of thin humour here and there makes the reading of this book a great experience.
To conclude:
- If you already know Java and want to learn how to use it for your Mindstorms robots, this book is for you.
- If you don't know Java, but want to push your Mindstorms beyond the limits of the LEGO software and are challenged by the opportunity to learn a new language, this book is for you as well.
This book definitely deserves its place in your bookcase among the best Mindstorms books.
The author illustrates his explanations through images, LEGO-robot building instructions and step-by-step first-class photos on how to realize a distance sensor and a compass sensor. He knows the art of clarifying complex things without becoming neither too scientific nor simply trivial. He respects the assertion that every mathematical equation will divide the audience by two. But all the reflections are profound enough for both scholars and non-scholars.
Some words about the compass, ... [url]. Brian honestly reveals the power and the limitations of an electronic compass. Doing so, he demonstrates well the force of the leJOS mathematical kernel, which he mostly wrote as contribution to the leJOS open source project. He shows how the normal mobile robot builder must deal by software means with reality, unprecision, error-sources, calibration.
This book is a worthy follow-up to the high-level book-series around extreme Mindstorming and beyond.
Brian, well done !
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