Mack Academy Weblog

I recently finished another robotics book entitled Build Your Own All-Terrain Robot.  It was written by Brad Graham and Kathy McGowan and takes people with all levels of experience through the process of creating their own all-terrain robot with as little expense as possible.  This book provides great resources and is packed full of good advice and ideas.  Beginning by helping the reader understand exactly what he wants his robot to do, Graham and McGowan take the reader through the process of building two  robots, and leaves him with a reminder of the endless possibilities of all-terrain robots.

Because I have very little experience with robots outside of the LEGO MINDSTORMS kits, I approached this book at a beginning level.  I appreciated the minimal use of technical jargon and the clear explanations for any of these terms.  I loved how the author did not box me into a certain mission or a way of building but presented multiple solutions to any problem that arose.  The writing style allowed me to read it simply for ideas since I was not intending to build an all-terrain robot at that time, yet I could also use it as a sort of workbook if I started a robot.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in robotics - whether or not they are planning to build an all-terrain robot.  I can say that while I had barely thought of it before, this book has inspired me to build my own robot to use in a local parade.  I look forward to starting!