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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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CALENDAR
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| 2002.11.02 |
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PAReX Autonomous Robotics Competition, Phoenix, AZ
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| 2002.11.02-03 |
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Olimpiada Robotica, Colombia
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| 2002.11.06-08 |
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Robotics Industry Forum, Orlando, FL
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| 2002.11.06 |
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Robotics User Discovery Day, Orlando, FL
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| 2002.11.09 |
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Third Annual CIRC Autonomous Sumo Robot Competition, Peoria, IL
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| 2002.11.09-10 |
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RoboJoust, Las Vegas, NV
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| 2002.11.22-23 |
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Texas BEST competition, College Station, TX
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| 2002.11 |
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23rd All Japan MicroMouse Contest, Yokohama, Japan
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| 2002.12.7 |
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Boonshoft Museum LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Competition, Dayton, OH
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| 2002.12.7 |
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NC Robot Street Fight, Salisbury, NC
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| 2002.12 |
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Penn State Abington Robo-Trailblazers, Abington, PA
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| 2003.01.31-02.02 |
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Yantriki, Bombay, India
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| 2003.01 |
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Robot Wars, London, UK
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| 2003.01 |
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Citrus Robotics Robot Combat, Verness, FL
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ABOUT NETSURFER
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COOL TOYS
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IN THE NEWS
Predator Strikes
National security folks and military technologists were cheered
when a remotely-controlled Predator UAV fired a laser-guided
Hellfire missile and blew up a carload of six alleged Al Qaeda members.
While US press coverage was generally cheerful - and dare we say
chest-thumping? - overseas sources raised concerns about "summary
execution" and violations of International law. Yes, Virginia,
there is an international codification for war, and the lawyers
are now trying to figure out how Al Qaeda and the US War on Terrorism
fits in.
Quick March Forward
Before Predator stole the Robo-Limelight, ground-based robots scored
their own bullseye in an experimental program clearing caves and buildings
in Afghanistan. Instead of the usual multiyear military procurement
process, the operation was approved in May and completed in August 1. The trick? Research
and commercially available robots and parts were placed in the field without much ado and milspec hardening, and their controls integrated into the Army's
Land Warrior wearable computer. With a minimum of training, the soldiers were able to use
the robots to help clear three bunkers, an ammunition cache, 26 caves, 3 buildings and a walled compound
in four weeks. Is rapid prototyping finally coming to the military?
COOL STUFF
The ghosts and goblins has given way to turkeys and tinsel,
and Santa and the elves are madly at work. In support
of the annual year-end boost to the economy, we are featuring
cool robotics and related
stuff for friends and family - and of course yourself.
We've organized our selections by price, we hope
that there will be plenty to suit everyone's budget.
If you like books and movies, more favourites
can be found in the "Books'n'Stuff" section on the right.
$20 AND UNDER
Official Battlebots
If you've ever griped about the skimpy Battlebots web site,
this is the book for you. While coverage includes combat robotics, details of the Battlebot competition,
and a solid tutorial chapter on battlebot construction
for beginners, the stars of the screen are the stars of the
book as well. Centerfold-style spreads of
competition bots are augmented with technical details, cost and time
to build, builders bios, win-lose records and other stats,
and all those yummy details you
don't get in the heat of battle. For the young aficionado, there is
also a 64-page condensed version.
Author: Mark Clarkson; Publisher: Osborne McGraw-Hill; ISBN: 0072224258
Robotica Videos
 
The Learning Channel's Robotica series combines obstacles courses with
one-on-one battles to challenge roboticists of all ages and stripes.
Now you can relive the excitement, or stop-motion analyze each maneuver,
through a series of videos covering all 6 qualifying episodes (50 minutes
each) as well as the Championship grand finale (100 minutes).
The Complete Robot
Whet your appetite on Asimov's
"I, Robot" and you may want to devour every last morsel of his robotic
inventions. "The Complete Robot" is the full collection, almost twice the
size at 500 plus pages. From the classics that introduced the Laws of
Robotics to light-hearted shorts and brainteasers, each story is threaded with
provocative wit and wisdom. Whether you are a veteran revisiting with old friends
or a newbie just discovering Asimov's world, this volume is worth the special ordering and longer wait required.
Author: Isaac Asimov; Publisher: Acacia Press, Inc.; ISBN: 0586057242
Netsurfer Subscription
If you've enjoyed Netsurfer Robotics,
check out the rest of the Netsurfer family of e-zines.
Netsurfer Digest, our flagship, started publishing w-a-y back
in 1994, and has been a consistent source of (approximately) weekly
news and reviews about the Internet. If Science, Education, or Books
is your bag, then the monthly Netsurfer Science, Netsurfer Education, and
Netsurfer Books and Netsurfer Library will fit the bill. $20 per year, all you can eat.
$21 - $50
Technology Review
Published by the eponymous MIT spinoff, this magazine is an interesting
blend of ahead-of-the-curve technology trends and commercial interests.
Written for the general reader with an interest in technology,
it covers diverse fields from biotechnology and nanotechnology
to power generation and the distribution grid to innovations in retailing systems.
Regular columns deal likewise
with a broad spectrum of topics affecting the progress of technology
and its implications. The puzzles section is a nice bonus to keep you
engrossed.
The Ultimate Robot Kit
At the other end of the technology spectrum, there is David Eckold's "The Ultimate Robot Kit".
Four presdesigned models are largely built out of bright yellow cardboard,
string, and glue, and powered by one AA battery and a generous dollop
of ingenuity. Program Knotbot's navigation with knots in two strings:
the wheels wind up the strings and jerk (and turn) whenever a knot is hit.
Gobblebot opens and closes its bulldozer jaws to devour
small objects in its way. Cardboard and glue contraptions are often flimsy
and difficult to handle and operate, and this kit is
no exception. However, give it a bit of patience and an "A" for its
spirit of invention.
Author: David Eckold; Publisher: DK Publishing; ISBN: 0789479451
B.I.O. Bug
Predator, Stomper, Destroyer, or Accelerator? It might be a bit hard to pick just one of these big, colourful biomimetic bots.
Take command with the handheld
controller, or better yet, set them off to roam and learn from their environment. They will follow you - unless they're distracted by some tasty
infrared source like the lights, the TV remote, or the microwave.
At sixteen inches long and bristling with appendages, B.I.O. Bug also has
enough room for serious mods by the aficionado.
Robo sapiens: Evolution of a New Species
Robo sapiens is a coffee table book on a tour through the international
zoo of research robots. Although there are tech specs and pictures about
each robot, the text focuses on the development environment and in-depth
interviews with the creators. The result is an insightful snapshot of the robotic
equivalent of Krakatoa post-eruption:
a pioneering mass of the hopping, slithering, grasping contraptions
testing out and adapting to new niches.
Authors: Peter Menzel, Faith D'Aluisio; Publisher: MIT Press; ISBN: 0262133822
Zero Blaster Fog Ring Maker
It's not a robot but who cares? The toroidal fog vortices had the staff at
Netsurfer mesmerized.
Shoot fog rings up to 6 inches in diameter clear across the room.
Challenge yourself to make rings intersect, or send one ring through another before they disappear!
(Okay, it takes practice and your mileage may vary).
Pulling one trigger on the colorful launcher heats the special water-based,
non-toxic fluid into a dense fog. Pulling the second trigger pops out a perfect smoke ring.
The blaster comes with 3 oz of fluid, enough for tens of thousands of rings, but
you need to get your own batteries.
Kinetic Butterflies and Dragonflies
Interested in muscle wire technology but need some motivation to get
started? The quick gratification from the Kinetic Butterflies and
Dragonflies kits may do the trick. 5-inch, full color replicas flutter
gracefully in your home jungle as soon as you assemble them
and plug in the AC adapter. Each kit contains one butterfly or
two dragonflies and comes with details of each insect and its
natural habitat. Just make sure you install them out of reach of your kitty.
Wall Hugging Mouse Robot Kit
Or keep kitty entertained chasing after this clear plastic mouse.
A classic robot design that runs mazes using the "Left Hand Rule", the Mouse Robot
has two motors and a wall sensing switch guiding the mouse along walls and around corners.
Preassembled gear box, all plastic base and mouse body, and no soldering required, this is a great electromechanical robot for beginners.
It's also great "hackable" for the
more advanced - just add a BASIC Stamp and let the imagination run.
Monsters, Inc. DVD
Sometimes the supposedly scarey creatures are downright lovable.
From the bit of whimsy that forms the premise of
Monstropolis - a hidden world running on the screams of scared kids - a hilarious
feast filled with delightful characters and superb production
values unfolds. Whacky as they come, the story is richly textured to
keep Dad's attention - a
sly poke at office politics where "Top Scarer" Sully is being derailed by
the underhanded Randall - and speak to every child's fantasies, after
all the door to Monstropolis is through the closet.
Although Shrek took the Oscar with its trendier, adult cool,
Monsters will become the classic with its timeless appeal.
$51 - $100
Remote Control Flying Saucer
Beautifully designed and very clever. Just fill the balloon with
helium at the local gift shop, tape the twin-turbo fan unit to the
bottom, adjust the ballast weight, and go!
Radio controlled and showing great maneuverability, the Flying
Saucer can even be
made to spiral up and down high, narrow spaces.
Nearly 1 meter (38 in) wide, this UFO requires only a 9V and a camera
battery for you to stage your own close encounters.
Remote Control Hovercraft
Look Ma, no wheels!
This radio-controlled hovercraft jets over surfaces on a cushion of air -- just like the real thing. Three separate motors shoot pressurized air downwards and provide the power to blast over snow, water, glass, carpet or even the living room floor. Includes a 9.6 v rechargeable battery pack - but the remote control will need an additional 9-volt battery.
Star Wars II R2D2 Droid
The epitome of a robot pal, R2D2 from Star Wars, is now in the stores as
an 18-inch tall toy robot packed with
voice recognition, sonar, IR sensors, a utility arm and
other features. For those who are not content with its 40 voice
commands, secret features, and sound effects - including
Princess Leia's distress call - the bundle of hardware
is also an inexpensive platform for some serious
robot projects. In the traditional vein, Hasbro also
offers a superior X-Wing model with its own R2D2 and
many favourite Star Wars II action figures.
$101 - $500
Vroom-Vroom Roomba
Looking - and feeling - like a plump bathroom scale at 7 pounds or so,
the Roomba is the latest robot vacuum to be introduced. Pushbutton simple
- Small, Medium, or Large (room) - the little device costs $200 and
can last 90 minutes or 3 Mediums on a single charge. Moving outwards
in a spiral (thanks to a minesweeping ancestor), Roomba is smart enough
not to fall down stairs (cliff-detection algorithms), can be fenced
in with an infra-red "virtual wall", and turns itself off when it's
done. It works on hardwood floor, tile, and
carpeting, but is not up to deep carpet cleaning. Will this be the
breakthrough domestic robot? Time and the Christmas shopping season
coming up will tell.
LEGO Mindstorms: Robotics Invention System 2.0
 
Call it accessibility or call it instant gratification, there is no
getting around the fun and learning quotient packaged in the LEGO
Mindstorms robotics kit. The basic system provides everything you
need to build a wide variety of computer controlled robots without
being a master carpenter or mechanic or electronics tech.
For the more ambitious, you can add
a remote control and sensors, vision,
or maybe just some garden variety
creature features. Oh, and by the way, in version 2.0, the IRQ battle is over with USB support.
A Toy for Your AIBO
Hanging up a stocking on the mantel for your AIBO as well?
Here is a perfect gift for your perfect pet.
Sony has introduced the AIBO Speed Board - a scooter that
lets AIBO to entertain you with a whole new set of routines.
Create your own Robo-X-Games by choreographing routines that
can be recorded and replayed. The Speed Board package is
designed for the ERS 210 and 220 series and also includes
Speed Boarder AIBO-ware and handlebars in orange, black, and
white to match your robopooch's mood. MSRP is $249.
$501 - $1,000
Friendly Robotics RL500 Robomower
After the vacuum cleaner, the most popular home robot request is the lawnmower. And Robo-Santa won't disappoint you here either.
Made eco-friendly with an electric motor and mulching blades, the RL500 Robomower from Friendly Robotics can handle tall grass and slopes, navigate edges, and go around swimming pools without falling in. Putt-putting along gently at the rate of a quarter acre a (working) day, it's best for small yards. It can operate in the dark at night, but you'll need extra batteries for round-the-clock shifts. And avoid the rain: it's still a computer on wheels.
Evolution ERS-1
Looking like a go-cart for a laptop computer,
the ER1 Persobnal Robotic
System is the prosumer kit from Evolution Robotics at US$599.99
unassembled - laptop not included.
The centerpiece of this minikit is its visual control center, software
that makes programming your autonomous bot a snap. Navigation, sight/sound
recording and playback, object recognition,
email, and Internet-based remote control can be all be controlled and aggregated
into more complex behaviours by point-and-click.
With a pricepoint in the consumer electronics league,
ER1 will truly test the personal robotics space
when the $199.99 robotic arm accessory becomes available.
In the meantime, you can check the ER1 out at select CompUSA and Fry's stores.
Macaron, Latte, and ERS-31L
 
For the same US$599 and no additional computer
you can become the proud owner of ERS-31L, the latest addition to
the Sony AIBO family. "Hello Kitty"-styled like Macaron and Latte,
ERS-31L is a brown puppy with an energetic and curious personality.
It "wakes up" with a good morning dance, incorporating some of its 200
or so new dance moves. More intriguingly, it has a habit of wandering around,
eagerly taking pictures when it finds something interesting.
And like young children and pets, it doesn't listen very well when it's
following its whims.
If you prefer the original look, Macaron and Latte are available for a tad
more at $849 each.
All three are can be found on the AIBO web site and in Sony stores.
OVER $1,000
AIBO ERS-210, The Next Generation - Christmas Colours
After a brain/processor enhancement this summer, AIBO ERS-210's can
learn a set of new tricks via a 16MB memory stick.
The software will allow AIBO to recognize its owner's name, face
and voice, look for him in a crowd, and show affection and happiness
when it finds him. The other key enhancement to make AIBOs a
part of your life: automatic 24x7 uptime - AIBOs now
search out their Energy Station to "feed/recharge" when
they runs low on power: To round out the model upgrades,
ERS-210A models will be available in
white and fire-engine red in addition to the standard black,
gold, and silver.
The ERS-210 series retails between $1,100 and $1,300, but
if you already have one, the new AIBO-ware is only $99.
Three Months of Netsurfer Robotics
You can get into the holiday spirit and give
a gift to everyone on the list. Every $1,500
will buy three more months of publication for
our little zine. No, this doesn't come close to
paying all of our costs, but it's something we can live with, and the
rest will just be our gift to you.
It's H-e-r-e!
Well, almost. Amazon has just announced its exclusive on
Segway, billed as the "World's first dynamically stabilized,
self balancing Human Transporter". Debates about where it should be
allowed to run aside, the Segway really is a cool toy. A non-refundable
$495 deposit will get you in the first-come first-serve line for
delivery starting March 2003. But 30 lucky early birds can get theirs
by Christmas, tour the Segway factory, and meet the design team.
WHATEVER HAPPPENED TO...
The 51st Thing to Do with Your ER1
Forbes Magazine reviews the ER1, and finds it a bit lacking
for the crowd used to the fit and polish of a Bimmer or Lexus.
But as a true capitalist tool, it offers the best use for
an ER1 yet: "there's something fascinating about watching a mechanical device chase a $20 bill with the single-mindedness of a rapacious stockbroker".
Segway Chasers
As of last count, Uber-Scooter Segway is now sidewalk legal in at
least 24 states and
making inroads into diverse organizations like the US Postal Service
and the Grand Canyon National Park. What to do? Send in the Marines -
uh, we mean Lawyers! Enter Sue-It.com. The site is the home of
a Washington DC law firm staking its claim in the forefront of suing It.
If you don't remember, "It" was the code name for "Ginger", the code name
for the Segway.
It's a Draw!
Kramnik and Deep Fritz each won two and drew the remaining four matches
in the 8-game man versus machine extravaganza in Bahrain in October.
The Russian grand master started well with wins in games 2 and 3, but
Deep Fritz, able to evaluate 3.5 million moves a second, came back
in a stunning comeback. Back to Kramnik versus Kasparov.
More Pyramid Power
Undaunted by the door behind the door in both north and south shafts
of the great pyramid Cheops, archaeologists are planning to scale
the mound itself in December to see if the shafts emerge somewhere.
Exits would
indicate the shafts were symbolic for the rise of the soul. Otherwise,
they'll keep digging towards a burial chamber behind the doors next year.
BITS & PIECES
To Have Legs? Get Legs
Segway, it seems, also cannot escape its destiny as a wheeled device: the laws
of physics and lateral instability. Wired has an entertaining
article about Berkeley professor Robert Full, and how the Polyped Power guru lectured Great Inventor Dean Kamen on Kamen's home turf on the superiority of legs for locomotion.
Nor does Honda's Asimo fare well in Professor Full's esteem: a robotic
evolutionary dead end.
The peripatetic Full certainly has polypeds in lots of buckets.
Collaborations range from work on the atomic-powered wall-climbing gecko to
the Sprawlettes and RHex hexapods, and he is a popular participant in TED,
the gabfest of movers and shakers of the ideas crowd.
SEE ME, HEAR ME
Cyrano's Nose Knows
A new sensor array had the docs snorting at the CHEST 2002 meeting
of chest physicians. "Cyranose", from Cyrano Sciences, is a $8,000 handheld
containing a one-inch square grid carrying 32 carbon-black/polymer sensors.
Pathogens are detected and identified by unique fingerprint
patterns generated by the sensors when an air sample passes over the array.
Tests for VAP, a form of pneumonia, seem to produce results comparable
to the current standard test, but the audience remain unconvinced.
Well, you can't win them all. Cyrano's sensors get better reception in other industrial applications, and with the advent
of 9/11, much attention for Homeland Security applications. A starring role
nailing the murderer
in TV's hit series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation doesn't hurt either.
PROOF OF THE PUDDING
How Green are my Coffee Beans
Satellite-based remote sensing of surface conditions such as snow cover and
agricultural crop maturity has been around for decades. While satellites
have more important missions, and aerial photography is usually too expensive, UAVs are becoming a viable alternative. Recently, NASA's solar-powered
Pathfinder Plus UAV hopped and skipped for more than four hours over Hawaii's largest coffee plantation, assembling a map of crop conditions despite
intermittent cloud cover. The high resolution colour images of coffee cherries allow plantation managers to select the ripest fields for harvest.
MAN vs MACHINE
Is Lucy Frankenstein's Bride?
Steve Grand, O.B.E., is the English school teacher who invented
the artificial life game "Creatures" (see "Books'n'Stuff") and
now putters on self-funded projects in his shed in the countryside.
The Guardian has a thought-provoking article on one reporter's
encounter with the inventor and Lucy, his latest project to
create artifical intelligence. Interaction between Grand and the
reporter wanders across a motley of themes such as:
What is human intelligence and what is artificial intelligence?
Why are humans afraid of machines? Is AI nirvana or doomsday?
Is AI 50 years of showbiz and failure?
IN THE ARTS
SPOD, the Viridian AIBO
Viridian's BioFutures Dog contest garnered
over 20 entries, and now a winner has been declared. Sayeth the
judges: "As an objet de technologie, SPOD exists in the currently blank area where infotech meets industrial biotech processes (meets Lassie). The most lauded aspects of SPOD over here were the public domain SPODscript routines, the organic photovoltaic Solar Poncho, the closed-loop manufacturing ideas, a grasp of the broad range of bioindustrial products and processes, and the fantastic Flash site design, including links to relevant articles and great x-ray dog pics."
Now how can we top that?
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BOOKS 'N' STUFF
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Extreme Mindstorms: an Advanced Guide to Lego Mindstorms
by Dave Baum, Michael Gasperi, Ralph Hempel, Luis Villa
APress
ISBN: 1893115844
10/2000
$20.97
This is a very accessible book of advanced LEGO MINDSTORMS projects.
On the other hand, you may expect more and truly obsessive, whacky,
devious, beyond-your-imagination undertakings promised by the
"Extreme" billing. Get over the marketing hype and you will find
meaty sections on advanced techniques including NQC and constructing
custom MINDSTORMS sensors written by some of the leading lights
in the field. Quality illustrations and coverage of different
system platforms are also significant pluses.
Jin Sato's Lego Mindstorms: The Master's Technique
by Jin Sato
No Starch Press
ISBN: 1886411565
04/2002
There was Aibo, and then there was MIBO, the robotic dog built from
LEGO Mindstorms bricks. Now MIBO's creator, Ottawa engineer Jin Sato, has written
a book on how to build MIBO and LEGO robots in general. While it's
interesting to read about building robots and programming environments from
"The Master's" point of view, the projects are what makes the book.
Sato provides parts lists and lots of
illustrations for building MIBO and four other robots.
A word of caution: you probably don't want to build MIBO for your first
Mindstorms project as it is really quite complicated.
Robotic Explorations: An Introduction to Engineering Through Design
by Fred G. Martin
Prentice Hall
ISBN: 0130895687
12/2000
As advertised by its title, this book both explores the building of a
fully functional autonomous robot and serves as an excellent
introduction to general engineering. Based on the LEGO Technic system and augmented
with a Handyboard and some basic tools and parts, the book works systematically
through design, construction, and programming issues. While the purist may want
to see more engineering theory and principles, most readers will happily dive
into the hands-on building aspects asap. With a little bit of imagination,
LEGO Mindstorms equipment can be used in place of the mechanically more sophisticated Technic components for the simpler projects.
Robots for Kids: Exploring New Technologies for Learning
by Allison Druin, James Hendler (Editors)
Morgan Kaufmann Publishers
ISBN: 1558605975
04/2000
Even if you have nothing to do with kids and education, the first
four chapters of this book provide compelling stories of the development of
Lego Mindstorms and Aibo, robotic storytelling in education, and
the behind-the-scenes view of high tech toy development.
The rest of the book might have been just an excellent reference,
providing detailed descriptions on using robotics
at various levels from elementary school to university outreach.
Instead, it transcends the genre with the inclusion of intriguing essays showing the
children's point of view, their hands-on experiencess and their ideas about
robots. A twofer bargain.
Robot Teams: From Diversity to Polymorphism
by Tucker Balch, Lynne E. Parker (Editors)
A K Peters Ltd
ISBN: 1568811551
04/2002
Building an autonomous robot has its unique challenges, but what does
it mean to have a whole team? Robocup soccer may be the visible
application, but research in the area is blooming.
CMU's Tucker Balch and Lynne Parker
from Oak Ridge National Labs leads the reader through the key concepts of
multi-agent robot theory, illustrating major concepts with exemplary
systems. The books is filled with cutting edge information and
richly supplemented with detailed mathematics, illustrations and diagrams,
and source fragments.
As befits two researchers, a 44-page bibliography lists ample
resources for those who want to delve further into particular
areas.
Flesh and Machines: How Robots Will Change Us
by Rodney Allen Brooks
Pantheon Books
ISBN: 0375420797
02/2002
Brooks, the director of MIT's AI Lab and a bit of a media darling,
begins "Flesh and Machines" with a concise overview of the history of AI and robotics,
and quickly switches to give a panorama of the strange and sometimes
surprisingly human-like devicess created by roboticists.
A second part of the book describes strategies of building AI,
favoring simpler reactive/emergent models rather than the all-knowing
expert systems.
Brooks also ruminates on the robo-human world in five years and beyond.
The latest in recent books about the
coming of intelligent machines, "Flesh and Machines" is
not as deliberately provocative as Hans Moravec's
"Robot: Mere Machine to Transcendent Mind",
nor as thoughtful and well-written as
Ray Kurzweil's
"The Age of Spiritual Machines".
Creation: Life and How to Make It
by Steve Grand
Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674006542
10/2001
Steve Grand is the creator of "Creatures", an artificial life
game that has won a devoted following worldwide. The game,
based on simulated biological building blocks, results in a cyber-race
that grows, reproduces, and adapts. The experience led Grand to
ruminate on what makes life and intelligence in a book
that, for many another author, might be accused of having too grandiose a title.
Ranging from mechanical
systems to the deeper philosophical underpinnings, it is a
fine introduction to the ideas of artificial life from a proponent
of emergent rather than "top down" AI programming. The game "Creatures" is
available for
Gameboy,
PlayStation,
and in the soon to be released
PC-based trilogy gold collection.
Designing Sociable Robots
by Cynthia Breazeal
MIT Press
ISBN: 0262025108
05/2002
As GRACE demonstrates its social graces, the interaction of man
and robot continues to hold a significant place in robotics research.
Author Cynthia Breazeal, also the leader of the
Public Anemone
team at MIT, built Kismet, one
of the first sociable robots, as a graduate student.
In this book she presents the development of Kismet, and its roots
in animal and human behaviour and animation as well
as basic engineering. Breazeal's vision is of robots as an entity beyond
a sophisticated machine, where sociable robots will be able to learn and
grow along with humans. A CD of Kismet in action is included.
An Introduction to AI Robotics
by Robin R. Murphy
MIT Press
ISBN: 0262133830
11/2000
Although a computer science bent is helpful to the reader, this comprehensive
text does a credible job moving from theoretic paradigms and architectures
to the nuts and bolts of sensing and navigation in mobile robots.
Chapters are structured for maximized absorption and retention
with the usual pedagogical objectives, reviews, and exercises.
More importantly, these are also reinforced with one or more case studies of real
world robot construction. Digression into robots in film and fiction
and a discussion on the future direction of robotics round out
an excellent introduction accessible to hobbyists as well as academics.
One Jump Ahead
by Jonathan Schaeffer
Springer Verlag Pub
ISBN: 0387949305
04/1997
The story of Deep Blue, the chess program that "beat" then world champion
Garry Kasparov, is well
documented and
analyzed. Here is the account of the development of the checkers
progam Chinook
from a lunch time conversation to a program that defeats the world champion
of the game. Written by the leader of the program development team,
it is a surprisingly engrossing account that enlightens the reader on the
game of chess and the nature of AI programming while presenting
a tale of human foibles and fascinating personalities, including Marion
Tinsley, probably the greatest checker player of all time. A good read where
descriptions of the matches will have you teetering on the edge of your seat.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
by Philip K. Dick
Random House
ISBN: 0345404475
1968? - 05/1996 reprint
When world war destroys most living things, the survivors build simulacrae to
supplement them, including androids that are almost indistinguishable from humans.
The new world with its inevitable conflict between man and creation provides the foundation for the story of a middle-aged android bounty hunter trying
to get by, weaving in themes of race and discrimination, religion and humanity
and love in subtle twists and details. The film version,
The Blade Runner, brings visually stunning noir glamour to a more emotional interpretation that stands in its own right.
The Robot's Twilight Companion
by Tony Daniel
Golden Gryphon Pr
ISBN: 0965590151
08/1999
A collection of nine short stories and novellas, these are held
together by Tony Daniel's darkly imaginative world of the future
where humanity is no longer quite what it was while human
inter-relationships still shift and struggle in old familar ways.
Career versus family and phantoms of former loves intertwine with
KGB agents, vacuum tube physics, cyborg rulers, and multidimensional travel.
Old themes are beautifully wrapped in inventive, idiosyncratic
science fiction in its best tradition.
And the robot of the title? You simply have to read about it.
Starship Troopers
by Robert Heinlein
Berkley Pub Group
ISBN: 0441783589
Considered by some to be Heinlein's finest work, Starship Troopers is
of particular robotic interest as one of the earlier descriptions of human
extender-suits for a stronger, faster soldier.
While there is plenty of high tech weaponry and battles
with a conveniently insect-like enemy, the book also carries a pro-military
theme of citzenship through military service, swift black-and-white justice,
and the ramifications of such a society. Viewed from the eyes of a young man who
signs up as a lark and finds out why he is a soldier, it adds a
coming-of-age twist as well.
The R-rated
DVD is typically regarded as an action comic version of the
story that avoids the philosophical and political underpinnings of the book.
Transformers - Special First Season Collector's Edition
ISBN: B000063K17
Bootleg copies of every episode of "Transformers, Robots in Disguise",
is readily available on the Internet, but Rhino Home Video's release
of the first 16 episodes
hit the Amazon charts at #7 on advance sales alone, and quickly roared
to the top. Excellent production values including brilliant colours
and surround-sound, and a fourth bonus disk loaded
with outtakes, details on the remastering process,
highlights from BotCon 2001, etc. make a superior package that has fans clamouring
for follow-ons - and rushing into toy stores to see what cool Transformers
a decade or two of technology can create.
The set includes two limited edition cels,
but is encoded for US and Canada only. You may prefer the
video version, dubbed in English.
Nadia, Secret of Blue Water - The Adventure Begins
by Hideaki Anno
Mention of the anime origins of Disney's
Atlantis - The Lost Empire provoked a certain amount of interest.
"Nadia", first produced in 1989, shares many details from storyline -
including a mystical blue necklace - to setting, characters, and design
with Disney's oeuvre. The difference? Nadia is a long, engaging,
adventure epic spanning 39 episodes, the first 4 of which are
included here. The series will draw you in
with its rich character development and gripping plot twists
through all 10 volumes (despite some choppy episodes in the middle)
to the ultimate grand finale.
Anime fanatics may find its
style a bit too 80s-bright but it's particularly suitable
for younger audiences with its sense of
faith and optimism.
The Iron Giant
ISBN: B000028U3R
1999
The story of a boy and his dog in the Maine woods takes a twist in this underrated
animation when Hogarth befriends a 50-foot iron-eating robot that has
fallen from the stars. The giant is friendly, funny, and has more
gadgets than a Swiss army knife on steroids.
But how do you hide your new and very big
friend from Mom - and protect it from
the pursuit of government agents in the throes of Cold War paranoia?
With superb 3D animation and an excellent human cast, this heartwarming
tale works at many levels for kids, parents, and animation aficionados alike.
Short Circuit (Special Edition)
ISBN: B00004W19V
1986
Number 5, a military robot is short-ciruited by a lighting bolt and comes
to live with curiosity and a sense of humour. This not-very-original
premise nevertheless results in a light-hearted comedy where a pet-happy
animal lover rescues Number 5 and tries to teach it about animals - have
you wondered about "when Aibo meets Bowzer?", life as exemplified by
"Saturday Night Fever", and everything in
between. Needless to say, a host of whacky characters and the obligatory
trigger-happy military follow in hot pursuit.
For more light entertainment,
"Short Circuit 2" takes off when Number 5 goes to New York to help
its designer make it rich in the big city.
Ghost in the Shell
by Mamoru Oshii (Director)
A computer program develops self awareness. Cybernetically-enhanced humans serve
the nefarious aims of governments and organizations.
With the next stage of evolution in full bloom, Major Kusanagi, a hybrid between
the Terminator and a Playboy centerfold in the best anime cyberbabe
tradition, seeks her nemesis "The Puppet Master".
Though inevitably tepid compared to its manga original, "Ghost" rises
above the traditional anime with its pyrotechnics, and
like the best futurist classics, raises provocative questions about the
interplay of human life, values, and technology.
This visual masterpiece is also widely recognized as a key
influence on the better known sci-fi hit
The Matrix.
For more selections, check out the Netsurfer Library at
http://www.netsurf.com/nsl.
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