Lots of Robot books are available from Amazon.com
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Robo Sapiens by Peter Menzel
"Today's robots... are explorers, space laborers, surgeons,
maids, actors, pets." What do they look like? How do they work?
And what's next? Tech photographer Menzel and journalist D'Aluisio
worked together on Material World and Man Eating Bugs. Their latest
collaboration joins terrific photos of robots
176 color pictures of them
,
t
w
o short essays, sidebars and interviews explaining what each
robot can do, how it works and what problems it was designed to solve.
Several researchers tell D'Aluisio that true artificial intelligence
(AI) is coming soon, a couple even believe that smart machines will
someday wipe out humans. But this volume doesn't really add up to an
argument about our mechanoid future: instead, it's an informative and
well written view of some current work in robotics, from out-there AI
research to practical (and profitable) surgical technology. Menzel and
D'Aluisio divide the machines they chronicle into six groups: the
first two sets try to copy human abilities, while other sorts of 'bots
function more like machines in industry or in science education. Many
gizmos have special abilities of obvious, even lifesaving, practical
use: "Ariel the crab-robot... walks pretty well underwater";
eventually, it will detect and clear mines. "Rosie," a
remote boom crane robot, can help control damage from a reactor
meltdown. Other constructions simulate human and animal actions, like
running and walking
-
a field called "biomimicry." More
impressive yet are robots designed to investigate psychology and
cognition; some of these are learning
and teaching their creators
what
it means to be human. MIT researcher Cynthia Breazel introduces us to
Kismet, a Kermit-the-Frog-esque 'droid whose big-eyed, goofy
"facial expressions" (in her words) "tune the human's
behavior so that it is appropriate for the robot
not too much, not too
little, just right."
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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"Humans vs Androids"
by Carlos da Silva (*new*)
$28
including postage
I find Carlos' book
quite interesting. He has an unusual style of writing and he
covers his subject in unconventional ways. This book
discusses a wide variety of subjects comparing humans and androids.
Carlos has carefully put together a complex evaluation system which
rates robots or androids or even people as compared to the ideal human.
Carlos is also sponsoring an Android Award which will be a cash
award for the best android which scores the highest on his evaluation
scale.
JOBS for
the 21st Century
(by Christopher R. Willis)
This book outlines a plan to explore and develop outer
space. It describes a revolutionary spaceship propulsion system which has a variable
specific impulse - starting at 3000 seconds. It also fully describes a manned mission to Mars which would carry 1000
people to Mars in only 5 weeks. It also includes the first published practical plan
for manned missions to Jupiter and all of the outer planets.
 $20
including shipping in the US.
Ballroom Dancing Books
Leading Competition Figures: Waltz & Foxtrot
(by Christopher R. Willis, FISTD)
This book describes in detail many
competition figures which are danced in modern International Style Ballroom competitions
around the world. Figures shown here are commonly danced in the Waltz and Foxtrot.
 $20 including
shipping in the US
Leading Competition Figures: Tango & Quickstep
(by Christopher R. Willis, FISTD)
This book describes in detail many
competition figures which are danced in modern International Style Ballroom competitions
around the world. Figures shown here are commonly danced in the Tango and Quickstep.
 $20 including
shipping in the US
Competition Figures: Charts & Footpatterns
(by Christopher R. Willis, FISTD)
This book describes in detail many
competition figures which are danced in modern International Style Ballroom competitions
around the world. This book gives charts and footpatterns for all four dances
covered in the first two books above.
 $20 including shipping
in the US
Comments? Email me at crwillis@androidworld.com
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