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

Six classic science fiction stories and commentary that illustrate and explain key algorithms or principles of artificial intelligence. This book presents six classic science fiction stories and commentary that illustrate and explain key algorithms or principles of artificial intelligence. Even though all the stories were originally published before 1973, they help readers grapple with two questions that stir debate even today: how are intelligent robots programmed? and what are the limits of autonomous robots? The stories—by Isaac Asimov, Vernor Vinge, Brian Aldiss, and Philip K. Dick—cover telepresence, behavior-based robotics, deliberation, testing, human-robot interaction, the “uncanny valley,” natural language understanding, machine learning, and ethics. Each story is preceded by an introductory note, “As You Read the Story,” and followed by a discussion of its implications, “After You Have Read the Story.” Together with the commentary, the stories offer a nontechnical introduction to robotics. The stories can also be considered as a set of—admittedly fanciful—case studies to be read in conjunction with more serious study. Contents “Stranger in Paradise” by Isaac Asimov, 1973 “Runaround” by Isaac Asimov, 1942 “Long Shot” by Vernor Vinge, 1972 “Catch That Rabbit” by Isaac Asimov, 1944 “Super-Toys Last All Summer Long” by Brian Aldiss, 1969 “Second Variety” by Philip K. Dick, 1953

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

“[An] essential book… it is required reading as we seriously engage one of the most important debates of our time.”—Sherry Turkle, author of Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age From drones to Mars rovers—an exploration of the most innovative use of robots today and a provocative argument for the crucial role of humans in our increasingly technological future. In Our Robots, Ourselves, David Mindell offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the cutting edge of robotics today, debunking commonly held myths and exploring the rapidly changing relationships between humans and machines. Drawing on firsthand experience, extensive interviews, and the latest research from MIT and elsewhere, Mindell takes us to extreme environments—high atmosphere, deep ocean, and outer space—to reveal where the most advanced robotics already exist. In these environments, scientists use robots to discover new information about ancient civilizations, to map some of the world’s largest geological features, and even to “commute” to Mars to conduct daily experiments. But these tools of air, sea, and space also forecast the dangers, ethical quandaries, and unintended consequences of a future in which robotics and automation suffuse our everyday lives. Mindell argues that the stark lines we’ve drawn between human and not human, manual and automated, aren’t helpful for understanding our relationship with robotics. Brilliantly researched and accessibly written, Our Robots, Ourselves clarifies misconceptions about the autonomous robot, offering instead a hopeful message about what he calls “rich human presence” at the center of the technological landscape we are now creating.

This comprehensive presentation of the core concepts and historical landmarks in robotics and artificial intelligence is a must-read for those who want to understand the important changes happening now in our everyday lives, in the workplace, and in our minds and bodies. What is deep in "deep learning"? Can artificial intelligence really think? What will robots really look like in the near future? Is there a new class divide between those who understand technology and those who fear it? A clear and exhaustive introduction for non-specialists, 30-Second AI & Robotics will help the reader to navigate the world of ubiquitous computers, smart cities, and collaborative robots. At last, an optimistic and friendly book about our human possibilities in the time of automata.

Cognitive Neuroscience Robotics is the first introductory book on this new interdisciplinary area. This book consists of two volumes, the first of which, Synthetic Approaches to Human Understanding, advances human understanding from a robotics or engineering point of view. The second, Analytic Approaches to Human Understanding, addresses related subjects in cognitive science and neuroscience. These two volumes are intended to complement each other in order to more comprehensively investigate human cognitive functions, to develop human-friendly information and robot technology (IRT) systems, and to understand what kind of beings we humans are. Volume A describes how human cognitive functions can be replicated in artificial systems such as robots, and investigates how artificial systems could acquire intelligent behaviors through interaction with others and their environment.

A synthesis of biomechanics and neural control that draws on recent advances in robotics to address control problems solved by the human sensorimotor system. This book proposes a transdisciplinary approach to investigating human motor control that synthesizes musculoskeletal biomechanics and neural control. The authors argue that this integrated approach—which uses the framework of robotics to understand sensorimotor control problems—offers a more complete and accurate description than either a purely neural computational approach or a purely biomechanical one. The authors offer an account of motor control in which explanatory models are based on experimental evidence using mathematical approaches reminiscent of physics. These computational models yield algorithms for motor control that may be used as tools to investigate or treat diseases of the sensorimotor system and to guide the development of algorithms and hardware that can be incorporated into products designed to assist with the tasks of daily living. The authors focus on the insights their approach offers in understanding how movement of the arm is controlled and how the control adapts to changing environments. The book begins with muscle mechanics and control, progresses in a logical manner to planning and behavior, and describes applications in neurorehabilitation and robotics. The material is self-contained, and accessible to researchers and professionals in a range of fields, including psychology, kinesiology, neurology, computer science, and robotics.

Wheeled Mobile Robotics: From Fundamentals Towards Autonomous Systemscovers the main topics from the wide area of mobile robotics, explaining all applied theory and application. The book gives the reader a good foundation, enabling them to continue to more advanced topics. Several examples are included for better understanding, many of them accompanied by short MATLAB® script code making it easy to reuse in practical work. The book includes several examples of discussed methods and projects for wheeled mobile robots and some advanced methods for their control and localization. It is an ideal resource for those seeking an understanding of robotics, mechanics, and control, and for engineers and researchers in industrial and other specialized research institutions in the field of wheeled mobile robotics. Beginners with basic math knowledge will benefit from the examples, and engineers with an understanding of basic system theory and control will find it easy to follow the more demanding fundamental parts and advanced methods explained. - Offers comprehensive coverage of the essentials of the field that are suitable for both academics and practitioners - Includes several examples of the application of algorithms in simulations and real laboratory projects - Presents foundation in mobile robotics theory before continuing with more advanced topics - Self-sufficient to beginner readers, covering all important topics in the mobile robotics field - Contains specific topics on modeling, control, sensing, path planning, localization, design architectures, and multi-agent systems

A broadly accessible introduction to robotics that spans the most basic concepts and the most novel applications; for students, teachers, and hobbyists. The Robotics Primer offers a broadly accessible introduction to robotics for students at pre-university and university levels, robot hobbyists, and anyone interested in this burgeoning field. The text takes the reader from the most basic concepts (including perception and movement) to the most novel and sophisticated applications and topics (humanoids, shape-shifting robots, space robotics), with an emphasis on what it takes to create autonomous intelligent robot behavior. The core concepts of robotics are carried through from fundamental definitions to more complex explanations, all presented in an engaging, conversational style that will appeal to readers of different backgrounds. The Robotics Primer covers such topics as the definition of robotics, the history of robotics (“Where do Robots Come From?”), robot components, locomotion, manipulation, sensors, control, control architectures, representation, behavior (“Making Your Robot Behave”), navigation, group robotics, learning, and the future of robotics (and its ethical implications). To encourage further engagement, experimentation, and course and lesson design, The Robotics Primer is accompanied by a free robot programming exercise workbook that implements many of the ideas on the book on iRobot platforms. The Robotics Primer is unique as a principled, pedagogical treatment of the topic that is accessible to a broad audience; the only prerequisites are curiosity and attention. It can be used effectively in an educational setting or more informally for self-instruction. The Robotics Primer is a springboard for readers of all backgrounds—including students taking robotics as an elective outside the major, graduate students preparing to specialize in robotics, and K-12 teachers who bring robotics into their classrooms.

The volume set LNAI 11740 until LNAI 11745 constitutes the proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Intelligent Robotics and Applications, ICIRA 2019, held in Shenyang, China, in August 2019. The total of 378 full and 25 short papers presented in these proceedings was carefully reviewed and selected from 522 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections as follows: Part I: collective and social robots; human biomechanics and human-centered robotics; robotics for cell manipulation and characterization; field robots; compliant mechanisms; robotic grasping and manipulation with incomplete information and strong disturbance; human-centered robotics; development of high-performance joint drive for robots; modular robots and other mechatronic systems; compliant manipulation learning and control for lightweight robot. Part II: power-assisted system and control; bio-inspired wall climbing robot; underwater acoustic and optical signal processing for environmental cognition; piezoelectric actuators and micro-nano manipulations; robot vision and scene understanding; visual and motional learning in robotics; signal processing and underwater bionic robots; soft locomotion robot; teleoperation robot; autonomous control of unmanned aircraft systems. Part III: marine bio-inspired robotics and soft robotics: materials, mechanisms, modelling, and control; robot intelligence technologies and system integration; continuum mechanisms and robots; unmanned underwater vehicles; intelligent robots for environment detection or fine manipulation; parallel robotics; human-robot collaboration; swarm intelligence and multi-robot cooperation; adaptive and learning control system; wearable and assistive devices and robots for healthcare; nonlinear systems and control. Part IV: swarm intelligence unmanned system; computational intelligence inspired robot navigation and SLAM; fuzzy modelling for automation, control, and robotics; development of ultra-thin-film, flexible sensors, and tactile sensation; robotic technology for deep space exploration; wearable sensing based limb motor function rehabilitation; pattern recognition and machine learning; navigation/localization. Part V: robot legged locomotion; advanced measurement and machine vision system; man-machine interactions; fault detection, testing and diagnosis; estimation and identification; mobile robots and intelligent autonomous systems; robotic vision, recognition and reconstruction; robot mechanism and design. Part VI: robot motion analysis and planning; robot design, development and control; medical robot; robot intelligence, learning and linguistics; motion control; computer integrated manufacturing; robot cooperation; virtual and augmented reality; education in mechatronics engineering; robotic drilling and sampling technology; automotive systems; mechatronics in energy systems; human-robot interaction.