Modern Robotics

A modern and unified treatment of the mechanics, planning, and control of robots, suitable for a first course in robotics.

A modern look at state estimation, targeted at students and practitioners of robotics, with emphasis on three-dimensional applications.

The field of robotics is involved in the design, construction and use of robots and their control systems. These are developed with the objective of minimizing human effort or substituting for humans in environments, which are dangerous for human survival such as bomb detection and deactivation, in space, etc. Robotics integrates the techniques of electrical engineering, artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, etc. for the conception, operation and manufacture of robots. Some common areas where robots are being used include medicine, surgery, military, and manufacturing, where efficiency and precision is of the utmost essence. The components of a robot are a power source, actuators, sensors and manipulators. Solar, nuclear and hydraulic power can be used to drive a robot. This book elucidates the concepts and innovative models around prospective developments in the field of robotics in the modern scenario. Some of the diverse topics covered in this book address the mechanics, systems and control of robotic systems. It aims to serve as a resource guide for students and experts alike and contribute to the growth of the disciplines.

In the modern world, highly repetitive and tiresome tasks are being delegated to machines. The demand for industrial robots is growing not only because of the need to improve production efficiency and the quality of the end products, but also due to rising employment costs and a shortage of skilled professionals. The industrial robot market is projected to grow by 16% year-on-year in the immediate future. The industry’s progressing automation is increasing the demand for specialists who can operate robots. If you would like to join this sought-after and well-paid professional group, it’s time to learn how to operate and program robots using modern methods. This book provides all the information you will need to enter the industry without spending money on training or looking for someone willing to introduce you to the world of robotics. You will learn about all aspects of programming and implementing robots in a company. The book consists of four parts: general introduction to robotics for non-technical people; part two describes industry robotisation; part three depicts the principles and methods of programming robots; the final part touches upon the safety of industrial robots and cobots. Are you a student of a technical faculty, or even a manager of a plant who would like to robotise production? If you are interested in this subject, you won’t find a better book!

The truth about robots: two experts look beyond the hype, offering a lively and accessible guide to what robots can (and can't) do. There’s a lot of hype about robots; some of it is scary and some of it utopian. In this accessible book, two robotics experts reveal the truth about what robots can and can’t do, how they work, and what we can reasonably expect their future capabilities to be. It will not only make you think differently about the capabilities of robots; it will make you think differently about the capabilities of humans. Ruth Aylett and Patricia Vargas discuss the history of our fascination with robots—from chatbots and prosthetics to autonomous cars and robot swarms. They show us the ways in which robots outperform humans and the ways they fall woefully short of our superior talents. They explain how robots see, feel, hear, think, and learn; describe how robots can cooperate; and consider robots as pets, butlers, and companions. Finally, they look at robots that raise ethical and social issues: killer robots, sexbots, and robots that might be gunning for your job. Living with Robots equips readers to look at robots concretely—as human-made artifacts rather than placeholders for our anxieties. Find out: •Why robots can swim and fly but find it difficult to walk •Which robot features are inspired by animals and insects •Why we develop feelings for robots •Which human abilities are hard for robots to emulate

Profiles eleven notable scientists in the field of robotics, discussing their research, accomplishments, ethical and professional obstacles, and contributions. Includes photographs, illustrations, chronology of notable events, and a list of resources.

Robotics has simplified human lives and robots are now being used across a lot of industries. This book contains some path-breaking studies in the field of robotics conducted by internationally renowned experts. The various sub-fields of robotics along with technological progress that has future implications are glanced at in this book through detailed analysis of topics like continuum robotics, compliant mechanisms, torque control, designing techniques, etc. This book is compiled in such a manner, that it will provide in-depth knowledge about the theory and practices of robotics.

The author has maintained two open-source MATLAB Toolboxes for more than 10 years: one for robotics and one for vision. The key strength of the Toolboxes provide a set of tools that allow the user to work with real problems, not trivial examples. For the student the book makes the algorithms accessible, the Toolbox code can be read to gain understanding, and the examples illustrate how it can be used —instant gratification in just a couple of lines of MATLAB code. The code can also be the starting point for new work, for researchers or students, by writing programs based on Toolbox functions, or modifying the Toolbox code itself. The purpose of this book is to expand on the tutorial material provided with the toolboxes, add many more examples, and to weave this into a narrative that covers robotics and computer vision separately and together. The author shows how complex problems can be decomposed and solved using just a few simple lines of code, and hopefully to inspire up and coming researchers. The topics covered are guided by the real problems observed over many years as a practitioner of both robotics and computer vision. It is written in a light but informative style, it is easy to read and absorb, and includes a lot of Matlab examples and figures. The book is a real walk through the fundamentals of robot kinematics, dynamics and joint level control, then camera models, image processing, feature extraction and epipolar geometry, and bring it all together in a visual servo system. Additional material is provided at http://www.petercorke.com/RVC